2024 ACAC Women's Volleyball Rookies of the Year
Edmonton, AB (February 21, 2024) –
North Female Rookie of the Year | Evangeline Zehya | Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Evangeline Zeyha of the Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) Wolves has been selected as the 2023-24 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Year.
Zeyha started in 17 matches for the Wolves this season. She completes her rookie year totaling 118 kills, 32 solo blocks and 21 service aces. Evangeline has been awarded Player of the Game in multiple games this season.
“I am grateful Evangeline made the decision to stay home and play for the Wolves,” said Lauren Hale-Miller, Wolves Women’s Volleyball Head Coach. “She has been a huge asset to our program. With a tremendous amount of dedication and discipline, Evangeline was able to improve her level of play both physically and mentally. I am very proud of the work she has put in this year and look forward to the future.”
Zeyha is from Grande Prairie, Alberta. She is enrolled in Open Studies at NWP and wants to pursue a Bachelor of Communications. Evangeline is a great athlete and a wonderful individual to be in the presence of.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2024 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship hosted by Lethbridge College in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Rookie of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Alberta Volleyball.
South Female Rookie of the Year | Raya Roesler | Red Deer Queens:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Raya Roesler of the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Queens has been selected as the 2023-2024 ACAC Women’s Volleyball South Rookie of the Year.
“Raya learned to play volleyball in a small rural volleyball centre which really allowed her to develop her skills and learn to compete,” says Talbot Walton, RDP Queens Volleyball Head Coach, of the talented student-athlete from Compeer, Alberta.
As a first-year middle blocker, Roesler has made an impact on the RDP Queens and the ACAC. In 16 matches, the five-foot-10 student-athlete contributed 70 kills (1.56 kills per set) and had an impressive 0.445 hitting percentage.
“This season, Raya got the opportunity to start regularly in the second half and really embraced the opportunity,” adds Walton. “Raya loves to hit the ball hard and has quickly demonstrated that she will be a force in the ACAC, terrorizing opponents with her physical play at the net.”
Roesler, who is a Practical Nurse student, accumulated 18 blocks, which tied for the second most on a deep Red Deer Polytechnic Queens team. Throughout the season, she added 13 digs, two service aces and two assists.
Roesler helped the RDP Queens to achieve a 13-6 regular season record, placing the team second in the South Division and earning a spot in the ACAC Championship.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2024 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will be held at Lethbridge College from February 22 to 24.
Roesler and the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens will host the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women’s Volleyball National Championship from March 6-9 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. The Rookie of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Alberta Volleyball.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Travis Duncan, Northwestern Polytechnic
Athletic Director
780-539-2072
TDuncan2@nwpolytech.ca
Randy Stewart, Red Deer Polytechnic
Manager of Athletics and Student Life
403-342-3449
randy.stewart@rdpolytech.ca
Kayla Blacquiere, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kaylab@acac.ab.ca