DEGNER CONSIDERED AS ONE OF CANADA WEST’S TOP ROOKIES
For immediate Release: February 18, 2009
Kamloops, BC---For the first time in their history, Thompson Rivers University have a player given serious consideration as the Canada West Women’s Volleyball Rookie Of the Year. First year middle Lykke Degner (Copenhagen, Denmark) was one of the top six rookies considered for the award, which was announced today (Feb 18).
“This is awesome for Lykke,” said WolfPack head coach Cal Wohlford. “ She did a great job developing her skills and showing she could play at the CIS level. As time goes on, her blocking got better as she adjusted to the speed of the attack. Her play in the middle definitely helped us. I hope that she’ll continue on with her amazing play next season.”
“I am very honoured,” said Degner. “ I wasn’t used to the speed of the game when I came to Canada. Unlike Denmark, there is a pressure to win every weekend. I felt more comfortable with my play during the second half of the season.”
Degner participated in 79 games during her inaugural CIS campaign. She had 95 kills averaging 1.20 per game. Lykke added 11 assists, 8 serving aces, 41 digs, 11 solo blocks and 41 block assists. Her best match blocking was October 25 th against Simon Fraser when she had two solo blocks and five block assists. She also notched two service aces against SFU on October 24 th.
“Those were strong games but I really think my best game was the last one before the Christmas Break (Nov 29, 2008) against Saskatchewan,” said Degner. “That match saw us come together as a team. I hope that I can continue my strong play next year”.
Here is a run down of the major award winners and allstars in Canada West Women’s Volleyball for 2008-09:
The 2009 women’s volleyball MVP is Holly Harper of the Calgary Dinos. Harper, in her final year of CIS eligibility and a five-year standout for the Dinos, helped Calgary to a second-place finish in 2009, at 16-4,
and through the semifinals last weekend to qualify for this weekend’s Final Four event, beginning Thursday night in Edmonton.
The 22-year-old right side player, from Lumsden, SK, was second in kills, with 295 in conference play, a 3.60 per set average. A standout power hitter, Harper was also second with 4.15 points/set for Calgary.
In 2008, Harper was named to the CIS All- Tournament team as the Dinos won a bronze medal.
Harper’s journey to the MVP award has been a tough, after injuring her knee in December, causing her to miss the second half of the season and playing sparingly in 2006-07 as she recovered fully. In 2004-05, as a freshman, Harper was a member of the Dinos’ Canada West title team that was undefeated through the conference championship and ranked No. 1 all season before taking a bronze medal at Nationals.
After fitting in just fine with a veteran squad, Alberta freshman sensation Kelci French is the Rookie of the Year. The six-foot-tall, 19-year-old right side hitter ranked 10th in Canada West kills, with a 2.86 per-set average, helping Alberta to a 16-4 record, tops in Canada West and host of this week’s Final Four. Where French really stood out against the opposition was on serve, where she racked up 31 aces and a
0.43 average, second in the conference. A member of Canada’s Junior Team in 2008, the Native Studies student placed sixth overall in points, with 3.52 per set.
Claire Hanna has been named the Libero of the Year in just her second season at the position. The third-year Calgary product improved her digs per game from 3.09 to 3.82 this season and led the conference in that category this season. At a lofty six-feet-tall, she helped anchor UBC’s leading team defence, holding opponents to a .117 hitting percentage.
Hanna’s teammate, Katie Tyzuk, has been recognized as the league’s outstanding student-athlete, making her eligible for the CIS Thérèse Quigley Award, to be presented during Nationals, Feb. 26-28 in
Fredericton.
Tyzuk has taken over the role of setter for UBC after the departure of CW MVP Carla Bradstock and has helped direct a T-Birds offence that ranks fourth in the conference in kills with an average of 12.73 per
game. She ranked sixth in the conference in assists (9.55 per contest) and was one of only three T-Birds to play in all 73 regular sets for UBC this season. Prior to attending UBC, Katie spent two years with the
Junior National team, where she competed in various NORCECA events.
For the seventh time her career, long-time Alberta head coach Laurie Eisler has been chosen Coach of the Year by her peers. Since receiving her first such award, with Saskatchewan in 1990, Eisler has spent 16 years with the Pandas, 14 as the team’s top boss. She has won CIS Coach of the Year three times – 1995, 2003 and 2004.
With a 16-4 conference mark in 2008-09, Alberta claimed first place and remained near the top of the CIS rankings from start to finish. Eisler and the Pandas hope to be one of three teams from this weekend’s Final Four at the U of A to qualify for Nationals, Feb. 26-28 at UNB.
Eisler’s career conference record with Alberta is 237-85 (.736) and in playoff she is 60-23 (.723), taking the Pandas to six CIS banners and nine Canada West crowns.
Following is a breakdown of all individual award winners and All-Stars:
Awards
MVP: Holly Harper, Calgary
Rookie of the Year: Kelci French, Alberta
Libero of the Year: Claire Hanna, UBC
Thérèse Quigley Award nominee: Katie Tyzuk, UBC
Coach of the Year: Laurie Eisler, Alberta
All-Stars
First Team Second Team
Holly Harper, Calgary Samantha Loewen, Manitoba
Jocelyn Blair, Alberta Lauren Perry, Calgary
Daryll Roper, Alberta Jen Hinze, UBC
Dayna Jansen Van Doorn, TWU Liz Cordonier, UBC
Marisa Field, UBC Ashley Creighton, Brandon
Sarah Morrissette, Manitoba Teagan Hunter, Brandon
Major award winners will automatically become finalists for national awards, to be handed out by Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) as the University of New Brunswick hosts Nationals in Fredericton for a second straight year, Feb. 26-28.