A championship calibre team needs to have depth to overcome injuries.
So when both RDP volleyball Queens middle blockers went down in a match Jan. 13 against Keyano College, Queens head coach Talbot Walton only had to look down his bench to find more than adequate replacements.
First-year Raya Roesler stepped in and played like a veteran, with second-year Jailyn Stauffer filling the other middle position.
“We are very fortunate to have four good middle blockers. A lot of other teams just don’t have that much depth,” said Walton.
As a rookie, Roesler didn’t know what to expect this season, but Walton saw something special in the Compeer native.
“She is super athletic, something I saw in her in Grade 11,” said the veteran coach. “She also has the personality that fits right in with this group.”
“She carries herself with experience and maturity and is steadily improving.”
Raya has been surprised at the amount she’s played.
“I really didn’t think I’d play much, if at all,” she said. “But I’ve played a fair amount, which I’m grateful for.”
The fact Walton used her early in the season was a benefit when the starters Autumn Roos and Abby Lowe both went down with ankle injuries.
There also was no easy test for Roesler or Stauffer as their first game starting came against top-ranked Lakeland Rustlers, who managed to win 3-0, but RDP was still competitive.
“That was quite a test for sure,” said Raya with a smile.
Last weekend was an easier test as they hosted Medicine Hat in a twin bill, winning both matches 3-0.
Raya believes her strength is on the offensive side and that was evident in Friday’s match as she finished with 13 kills and two blocks. On Saturday, she had two kills and three blocks.
Stauffer had three kills and five blocks in the first match and five kills in the second.
Roesler grew up in a small town and attended high school in Altario.
She was involved in dance until she was 14, when she became interested in volleyball.
“I was one of the taller girls in the school (at five-foot-10) and my height helped and it just went from there.”
She played every position on the team but when offered an opportunity to play college ball and stuck with middle blocking.
It was a position she worked with in her one year of club volleyball in Calgary with the highly regarded Canuck program.
“That really helped me prepare for post-secondary,” she said.
Her quickness and ability to learn on the go also helped.
“I feel I’m a fast learner and pick up things quickly, which I believe really helps as you never know when you may get a chance to play, as it happened.
“I do believe my offence is my strength. I’m getting used to the speed of the game and I’m working on my blocking. I have to work on getting my hands over the net, not just going up straight but over and that’s tough for me.”
“Her offensive piece has always something she had,” added Walton. “There are some thing she is continuing to work on such as decision making on the defensive side as a middle blocker and awareness of the speed of the game, but she learns quickly.”
Raya did have an offer from Grant MacEwan University, but wanted to stay closer to home and take nursing, which will allow her to stay with the Queens for four or five years.
Roos appears to be the worse off of the two injured middles.
“She rolled her ankle to the outside and it not only affected the inside ligaments but a possible break,” said Walton. “Abby has injured that ankle a couple times before. so there’s less ligaments to damage and she could be back by the middle of the month.”
The Queens are off this week to prepare for a huge weekend Feb. 2-3 when they host the Briercrest Clippers in a doubleheader. The Queens are first in the South Division at 12-3 with the Clippers and Ambrose at 9-4. The Clippers and Ambrose clash this weekend in a twin bill.
The Kings are also first on the men’s side at 13-2 with Briercrest second at 10-3.
The basketball teams have a challenging weekend as they face St. Mary’s University in a home-and-home series — Friday in Calgary and Saturday at RDP.
The Queens are first with a 13-1 record with Lethbridge at 10-3 and SMU at 10-5. The Kings and SAIT are second in the south at 11-3 with SMU leading at 13-2.
The hockey Kings visit Portage in a weekend doubleheader, while the Queens host the expansion and winless Medicine Hat Rattlers on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.
The indoor track team sees its first action Saturday at the Kinsmen Centre in Edmonton. It will host the second Grand Prix on Feb. 10 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter who can be reached at danrode@shaw.ca