Volleyball Canada announced 34 athletes who were selected to its Women's National A and B Teams following a 49 player camp, which was held at the Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, from May 21-25. The 34 athletes will train together for a one month period. In late June, the A team will officially be selected and the B team will return to their hometowns. The A squad will continue training and compete in some exhibition matches against Team Argentina in Winnipeg from July 7-10. Both Team Canada and Team Argentina will be preparing for the Pan Am Cup in Mexico, a qualification event for the 2013 World Grand Prix, which they will both be leaving for on July 11.
This year's National women's volleyball team has two former Manitoba Bisons and one Bison recruit on the roster – Tricia Mayba, Kristi Hunter and Taylor Pischke.
“We are proud of all three athletes to be selected to this year's National team,” commented Bison women's volleyball head coach
Ken Bentley. “Kristi and Tricia have already proven by playing at the national level with previous experience while Taylor is the future as she has tremendous amount of talent and this will further her growth.”
Mayba, 23, ended her fifth season with the Bisons in 2011-12. The 6'1” middle hitter was fifth in Canada West and ninth in CIS in hitting percentage with .295, 13th in conference in kills per game at 2.71 (73 games/198 kills), tied for seventh in Canada West service aces per game at 0.41 (73 games/30 service aces), ninth in conference in blocks per game with 0.99 (73 games/72 blocks) and fifth in conference points and 15th in CIS at 3.65 per game (73 games/265.5 points). The Winnipeg native started and played in all 20 conference regular season matches and two playoff matches and also represented Canada in women's volleyball at the 2011 Summer Universiade in China and 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico.
Hunter, 23, completed her fifth year of eligibility and final season at Manitoba by being selected as 2011-12 Canada West Second Team All-Star. The 5'9” left side hitter had an impressive 2011-12 season with the Bisons as she finished second in Canada West kills and fifth in CIS at 3.43 per game (75 games/257 kills), third in conference points and seventh in CIS at 4.21 per game (75 games/315.5 points) and tied for 16th in Canada West blocks at 0.87 (75 games/65 total blocks). The Roblin, MB native started and played in all 20 conference regular season matches and two playoff matches also accumulated 179 digs, 29 assists and 23 service aces. She also represented Canada in women's volleyball at the 2011 Summer Universiade.
Pischke, 19, is a 6'1” left side hitter player who returns to Manitoba after one season at the University of California (Santa Barbara) in 2011-12. In her first year of university action, Pischke appeared in 20 of 31 matches (44 sets) as a freshman and recorded individual match highs of 12 digs against the NCAA National Division 1 finalist (University of Illinois) on Aug. 27; 12 kills and a .217 hitting percentage against California State Fullerton on Oct. 21; nine kills, two blocks and five digs against conference champions Long Beach State on Oct. 22 while the team finished second in the Big West Athletic Conference. She also was also an honor roll student (96.95% in Science). The Winnipeg native was also named to Canadian women's volleyball team for the 2012 World University Beach Volleyball Championship, held at the start of September.
