Townsman Staff
On Saturday night, the College of the Rockies Avalanche honoured their 2016-17 teams at their annual award banquet. Only days later, the team was already back at it building for next season.
On April 10, the team signed Katie Friesen, a setter from Steinbach, Manitoba and the next day, they added Megan Beckett, an outside hitter from Victoria B.C.
Friesen is currently in her last year at Steinbach Regional Secondary School and has been named the captain of her high school and club team for various seasons.
The 5’10” setter helped guide her U16 club team to a silver medal at Nationals and has since progressed to become a member of the Red River College Rebels U18 team in Winnipeg.
“[I am] very excited to play and study in the beautiful mountain region of BC,” Friesen said in an Avs team release. “Having grown up on the prairies, [I am] very excited to be a part of the COTR athletic program for the 2017-2018 season.”
Beckett is a very experienced player, having previously played for the PACWEST’s Camosun College Chargers for two seasons between 2014 and 2016.
In her first season, the 6’0 power hitter was named to the PACWEST All-Rookie Team and was also the PACWEST Rookie of the Year. Beckett also helped lead the Chargers to a first place finish in the PACWEST regular season, a silver medal at the PACWEST Provincial Championships and a bronze medal at the CCAA National championships.
Friesen is planning to take courses to continue her education in Kinesiology or Psychology, while Beckett is looking to take the Elementary Education program through the University of Victoria offered at COTR.
Friesen and Beckett are just two of nine new players who have already committed to the Avalanche for the 2017-18 season. In March, the program announced the signing of outside hitters Ashley Huberts, from Abbotsford B.C. and Morgan Charlton, from Cranbrook.
Departing players from the Avs’ 2016-17 roster include Adriel Goodman, Taylor Forster, Kennedy Koop, Mackenzie Morey, Sarah Wood, Miranda Myndio, and Kolby Fenton.
