Langley’s Avery Heppell has been named to Volleyball Canada’s Women’s NextGen National Team.
Heppell and fellow Trinity Western University player Kaylee Plouffe, who hails from Alberta, will be part of a 10-week training environment from May 24 to July 30, hosted at the National Training Centre in Richmond at the Olympic Oval.
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Before playing for TWU, the 6’3″ Heppell, a Langley Fundamental grad, earned two provincial gold medals and one silver medal with Force Volleyball Club. She also won a silver medal at the 17U national championships.
Heppell will enter her fourth year of U SPORTS eligibility in the fall, and Plouffe, who just finished her first year at TWU, still has five years of eligibility because of the 2020-21 season being cancelled.
NextGen head coach Gina Schmidt described the program as a “gateway” for the senior national team.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with this talented group of athletes we have selected to this year’s team,” Schmidt commented.
The Richmond session will provide the identified athletes with a full-time training environment that focuses on technical and tactical development in line with the women’s Senior A team.
Women’s head coach, Shannon Winzer, who is currently with the senior team in Italy preparing for Volleyball Nations League (VNL), said the aim of the program “is to create a sustainable podium pathway for indoor women’s volleyball by developing world-class athletes, who will help propel Canada beyond the current successes, to Olympic qualifications and podium performances.”
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