It has been a frustrating season in Heat sports, but there is a silver lining to some of our rookie athlete campaigns. Fortunately, the Heat are sending three players from two different sports to the Canada West rookie All stars. Despite neither our volleyball or basketball teams making the postseason, some of our rookie campaigns are being recognized and this could be a sign of a prosperous future.
Despite the Heat Volleyball going 7-17 for the season, two rookies made a huge impact and were chosen for the Canada West all-rookie team. Abigail Dueck is a setter from Winnipeg Manitoba and plays for the Heat volleyball. She recorded 269 assists this season and was chosen for the Canada West all-rookie team. The second member from the Heat Volleyball was another rookie sensation, Amaya Perry, who is an outside hitter from Chin, Alberta. Perry recorded 227 kills in the regular season and broke the UBCO Heat record of kills made by a rookie. The pair are set to play on the all-rookie team after the completion of the West Canada Championships on March 4.
The Heat basketball (2-18) also produced another rookie all-star this season. Kelowna local Jaeli Ibbetson was selected for the Canada West Basketball all-rookie team. Ibbetson collected 166 points in 12 games for an average of 13.8 points a game. She also collected a respective 10.2 rebounds per game.
Interestingly, Ibbetson is a well-established basketball player in the local Kelowna scene and has been dominating the court since her highschool campaign. Notably, the Heat struggled this season but having some of our rookie athletes recognized is important for the team to grow and prepare for the next season.
The Canada West Championships are coming up soon and fans can catch a glimpse at https://cw.yaretv.com/. Results from the all-rookie teams are coming soon.
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