Amber Adolf has every right to feel good about her season.
The RDC Queens second-year left side hitter from Trochu was a first-team All-Conference player, an All-Canadian and the MVP at the provincial championships.
But she’s more interested in talking about the team’s success than her own.
“It was a great season, everything you want it to be,” she said prior to leaving for the Canadian championships in Toronto Tuesday morning. “We grew a lot as a team and took that into the provincials where we played unbelievable volleyball. We worked so well together as a team, I couldn’t be happier.”
Adolf played a major role in the Queens dominance at the ACAC playoffs where they didn’t lose a set in their three starts. Their most impressive performance was a 3-0 win over the host Grande Prairie Wolves in the final.
“Their crowd was scary loud and I think we were all a little nervous going into the final, but we brought it as a team right off the bat and quieted the crowd. That was a great feeling.”
Adolf finished with 40 kills, four aces, 40 digs and two stuff blocks in the three matches.
“Things went well, but everyone contributed. We couldn’t be happier and what a great way for some of the girls like Brooke (Sutter), Shelby (Bramall) and Karissa (Kuhr) to finish their career here.”
Adolf believes the team’s depth not only was a major factor in their championship run, but helped her all season.
“Unlike last year there’s not one person we have to rely on . . . every single person on the team can get their points.”
Adolf will join the University of Calgary Dinos next season, something she’s been looking forward to for some time.
“I wanted to play there ever since I was 12 and saw them play,” she said.
“I was thinking of going there out of high school, but I wasn’t ready. The two years I played with the Queens, under (head coach) Talbot (Walton), meant the world to me.
“I gained so much experience because I got the playing time and Talbot helped me a lot in working with my hitting angles and my defence. When I came out of high school I couldn’t hit past bigger blocks. Now I understand the angles.”
The Queens, who are seeded third, open the nationals Thursday at 3 p.m. (EST) against the Capilano Blues of North Vancouver.
“We don’t know a lot about them, but their style is similar to what we see in Alberta,” said Adolf.
Walton agrees.
“We watched them on video and they have a strong libero, a tall setter and two good outside hitters,” he said. “But their style is similar so we don’t need to make a lot of adjustments, unlike if we were playing a team from the east.”
The Garneau Elans of Quebec City are seeded No. 1 and will clash with the host Seneca Sting while the second-seeded Vancouver Island Mariners clash with the Mount St. Vincent Mystics of Halifax. The Grande Prairie Wolves go in ranked fifth and meet Humber College of Toronto.
• The RDC Kings go into the men’s championships in Moose Jaw seeded No. 1. They face the Quebec champion St-Jerome Cheminots at 1 p.m. (CST) Thursday.
The host Briercrest Bible College Clippers are seeded sixth and clash with the Douglas Royals of New Westminster, B.C. Other opening round games sees second-seeded Mohawk Mountaineers of Hamilton clashing with the St. Thomas Tommies of Fredericton, N.B., and the fourth-seeded Humber Hawks meeting the CBC Bearcats of Abbotsford, B.C.
The semifinals go at 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday with the final at 8 p.m. Saturday.
• The basketball Kings, who won the ACAC title Sunday at RDC, go into the nationals, March 13-15 in Squamish, B.C., ranked third.
The Kings will meet the Crandall Chargers of Moncton, N.B., in their first game at 8:30 p.m. (PST) March 13.
The Concordia Thunder are ranked eighth and clash with top-ranked Langara Falcons of Vancouver while second-seeded Sheridan Bruins of Oakville, Ont., meets the host Quest Kermodes.
The Vanier Cheetahs of Saint-Laurent, Que., face the Holland Hurricanes of Charlettetown, PEI in the other game.
• The hockey Kings face the Grant MacEwan University Griffins in a best-of-three playoff, beginning Friday at 7:15 p.m. at the Penhold Regional Multiplex.
The second game is Saturday in Edmonton with the third game, if necessary, Sunday at 7:15 p.m. in Penhold.
The winner of the series meets the NAIT Ooks in the semifinals. The Augustana Vikings of Camrose and the Portage Voyageurs of Lac La Biche meet in the other quarter-final with the winner meeting SAIT.
• Clay Crellin, who was named the tournament MVP at the ACAC men’s basketball finals during the weekend, was named the Boston Pizza RDC male athlete of the week. The Kings picked up the Breathing Room team of the week award.