Trinity Western’s Avery Heppell and Alberta’s Jordan Canham were named the Canada West Volleyball Players of the Week by the conference on Tuesday.
Avery Heppell has locked in through the Canada West championships to earn her second-straight Player of the Week nod.
Heppell’s Trinity Western Spartans have led the nation’s rankings through most of the regular season, but that pressure and the sheer volume of some hometown crowds couldn’t crack her mentality over nationals weekend.
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She started the championship tournament with a 10 kill performance against the host Calgary Dinos. Heppell converted on half of her swings while posting an eyebrow-raising eight blocks, stifling both the Dinos and the energy of their hometown fans. She hit the floor for four digs while serving two aces in the 3-1 victory.
Heppell continued to work with efficiency in a 3-0 walloping of McGill in the semi-finals. The Langley, B.C. product just needed 11 swings to bury seven kills. She completed her impressive work at the net with seven block assists as the Spartans raced to a three-set win.
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In the Championship final, Heppell again loomed large at the net, shutting down the Mount Royal offence in a gym that rocked with Cougars fans. She remained steady and reliable, pushing her Spartans to the capture the banner they’ve waited three seasons for. She posted 11 kills, a .368 kill rate, seven block assists, four digs, an ace and 15.5 points in the 3-1 final.
Heppell’s consistent and efficient presence earned her the Championship MVP award.
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