Emma Huff, a third-year guard at Champlain Regional College in Quebec, will be joining the UBC Okanagan Heat basketball program next season.
Set to graduate from Champlain’s Lennoxville campus in May 2018, the 5-foot-10 guard from Chelsea, Quebec will head west to play with the Heat.
“I am beyond excited to move out to Kelowna and start this next chapter of my life,” Huff said of her upcoming transfer. “I’m really excited to get out on the court alongside such an amazing group of girls.
“I think I can contribute to the team in terms of experience and work ethic, having developed in the Division 1 CEGEP league. I hope to use my versatility to be an impactful player for the Heat.”
Huff’s experience includes three full seasons with Champlain College, two of which saw her as a captain, and an extended captaincy with her high school team at Philemon Wright High in Gatineau, QB.
“I have had a couple great opportunities to assume the responsibilities of being a team leader,” said Huff of her career thus far. “I consider myself to be a competitive and versatile player on both ends of the court and have been consistently starting since the end of my first year. I like to attack the basket but I’ll take the three if it’s there. I put a lot of effort into grabbing boards for my team and being intense defensively.”
Since beginning her career at Philemon Wright High School, Huff has amassed an impressive list of personal accolades. She was her Career Athlete of the Year in 2015, her grade 11 year, balancing academics and athletics. That combination of success in the gym and in the classroom also led to Huff earning the RSEQ Honour of Grade 11 Female Student Athlete having the Best Reconciled Sport and Education, and Huff was the recipient of the Quebec Lieutenant Governor General Award in 2015.
At Champlain College, she was named Rookie of the Year in 2015-16, won the Team Award for 2016-17, and was recognized with an RSEQ Division 1 Academic Excellence Honour in each of those seasons.
Coach Claire Meadows will reap the benefit of bringing in the three-year starter from Champlain. CEGEP competes in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) but allows only three years of competition, none of which use U SPORTS eligibility.
Huff will join the Heat having played collegiate level basketball for the past three seasons but will maintain the full five years of eligibility for the Heat
“Emma will be a huge addition to our team,” said Meadows. “On the court she is a tremendous athlete. She is an excellent defender and has a knack for rebounding. She is also a natural scorer as she can shoot the three and can break down on the perimeter. Most importantly, Emma is an outstanding individual and a natural leader.
“Her values align perfectly with our culture and she will bring immediate leadership to our program.”
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