The Trinity Western University Spartans saw stars every time they stepped on the court this year.
The university’s women’s volleyball team has earned three conference all-star honours, as Katelyn Devaney (Coquitlam) was named a first team all-star, Hilary Howe (Calgary) a second team all-star and Avery Heppell (Langley) to the all-rookie team.
For the fifth-year Devaney, who set the Canada West single-season record for blocks with 145 while averaging 1.56 per set this year, the first team honour is the second of her career, as she was also amongst the best in the conference in 2015-16. Devaney capped her career by setting the Canada West all-time career block record at 532.
The second-year Howe makes her debut as a conference all-star after she led the Spartans offensively, averaging 3.37 kills per set and 4.1 points per set.
As a first-year middle, Heppell had an outstanding season, finishing second only to Devaney in Canada West for blocks per set, with 1.38.
In a mid-January game against Regina, Heppell also equaled the Spartans record for blocks in a match with 13, tying the mark held by Devaney.
The TWU women finished the regular season with a 15-9 record, earning a spot in the Canada West quarter-finals where they ultimately lost to Alberta. The Spartans saw their season come to an end after dropping the deciding game of the best-of-three series in Edmonton.
A total of five players in their first or second year of eligibility were honoured as 2017-18 Canada West women’s volleyball all-stars Tuesday, as the conference’s youth movement in the sport was on full display.
The CW all-stars and all-rookies were selected by the conference’s 13 women’s volleyball head coaches.
