2009 Summer Universiade
Canada’s women’s volleyball roster announced

SMU’s Smit named to Universiade team

CIS Communications, Chronicle Herald Sports

June 20, 2009

Saint Mary’s Huskies outside hitter Kerri Smit has been named to the Canadian women’s volleyball team that will compete next month at the Summer Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia.

Smit, from Shubenacadie, was a second-team all-Canadian and the MVP of the AUS women’s league in her second year at the Halifax university. Smit led the conference in scoring (5.48 points per game) and kills (4.71 per game) and finished third with 29 aces.

The Team Canada roster announced Friday includes 11 CIS players and a former NCAA star who played professionally in Finland this past season. Only two players return from the 2007 squad that finished 11th at the Bangkok Games.

Canada opens the Universiade on July 2 against China, then faces Slovenia on July 3 and wraps up Group C play against Taiwan on July 5. Playoffs begin on July 7 and the gold-medal game is July 10.

Poland is the defending champion. The Canadian women’s best result in the Games remains a pair of fourth positions, in 1983 in Edmonton and in 1997 in Italy.

Full Team Roster adn Schedule:

TEAM CANADA ROSTER         
           
Position             Name                           University            Eligibility *            Hometown                              
Outside             Jocelyn Blair                 Alberta             5                      St. Albert, Alta.
Outside             Kristina Fabris               South Florida  A                     Sudbury, Ont.
Middle              Marisa Field                 UBC                5                      Kelowna, B.C.
Outside             Holly Harper             Calgary             5                      Regina Beach, Sask.
Middle              Dayna Jansen Van Doorn    Trinity Western            5                      Langley, B.C.
Setter               Samantha Loewen            Manitoba          2                      East St.Paul, Man.
Setter               Alexandra Lojen             Montreal          2                      Montreal, Que.
Outside             Marie-Pier Murray-MethotMontreal            4                      Montreal, Que.
Outside             Kyla Richey              UBC                2                      Roberts Creek, B.C.
Libero               Andrea Ruste                Western          4                      Edmonton, Alta.
Outside             Kerri Smit                  Saint Mary’s 2                      Shubenacadie, N.S.
Middle              Laura Spence             Calgary             4                      Calgary, Alta.
 
* Indicates year of CIS eligibility in 2008-09;
A – Fabris graduated from South Florida in 2008 and played pro in Finland in 2008-09.

Staff

Head coach: Olivier Trudel, University of Montreal, Montreal, Que.
Assistant coach: Ryan Hofer, Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C.
Assistant coach: Joanne Ross, UBC, Vancouver, B.C.
Therapist: Elizabeth Proskurnik, Winnipeg, Man.
 
CANADA’S SCHEDULE AND DRAW:

July 2            Preliminaries Group C: Canada vs. China
July 3            Preliminaries Group C: Canada vs. Slovenia
July 5            Preliminaries Group C: Canada vs. Taiwan
July 7            Quarterfinals
July 8    Semi-finals
July 10  Bronze & Final

Group A: Serbia, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil
Group B: Poland, Spain, Turkey, Mongolia
Group C: Canada, China, Taiwan, Slovania
Group D: Thailand, Japan, Russia, Sweden