The College of the Rockies Avalanche announced the signing of yet another new recruit for the 2017-18 season earlier this week.
Sarah Calkin, a 6’1 outside hitter from Calgary, Alberta will be returning to western Canada after spending last season with the Memorial University Seahawks out of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Seahawks, a member of U Sports — the highest-level university athletics league in the country — finished second in the Atlantic University Sport Volleyball Championships, and Calkin had 22 kills in 40 sets.
Calkin attended Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary and was named her team’s MVP in her Grade 10 year. She also played for the local ‘403 Selects’ club team and helped lead them to a Provincial Bronze medal at the U18 Provincial Championships in 2015-16 season.
Calkin has also previously been part of the Team Alberta club volleyball program playing in her U16 season as well as playing on the U18 Team Alberta squad despite being U17 age.
“I am very excited for my move back closer to home and to continue my volleyball career with the College of the Rockies Avalanche Women’s Volleyball team,” Calkin said in an Avs press release. “I think it will be a good fit for me both in volleyball and in school.”
Planning to enroll in the Criminal and Social Justice program at COTR, Calkin added that she is “looking forward to joining the COTR girls and contributing my part to the team.”
Coach John Swanson also expressed enthusiasm about the team’s newest player.
“[Calkin] will be a great addition to an already strong recruiting class,” he said in the release. “She is someone who we were trying to recruit right out of high school and after she attended our summer ID camp it was evident that she had the strength and skill set to immediately play at the collegiate level.
“I believe the experience she has gained playing at the U Sport level as well as attending classes in a university environment will allow [her] to seamlessly transition to the demands and expectations required at the College of the Rockies.”
Calkin is the 10th new recruit set to join the Avs women’s team next year. The 2016 PACWEST Provincial champs are in a significant period of transition heading into next season. It was previously announced that at least seven players from the Avs roster last year will not be returning in 2017-18 as they have finished their COTR education and are moving on to other schools and endeavours.