NYHOF EARNS SPOT ON TEAM CANADA

WINNIPEG - Volleyball Canada announced today the 34 athletes who were selected to its women's national A and B teams following a 49-player camp which was held at the Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, from May 21 to 25.

Among those who made the cut was OCAA women's volleyball player of the year Kelly Nyhof (Georgetown, Ont.) of the OCAA champion Humber Hawks.

The 34 athletes will train together for a one month period. In late June the A team will officially be selected and the B team will return to their hometowns. The A squad will then continue training and compete in some exhibition matches against Team Argentina in Winnipeg from July 7-10. Both Team Canada and Team Argentina will be preparing for the Pan Am Cup in Mexico, a qualification event for the 2013 World Grand Prix, which they will both be leaving for on July 11.

Returning veterans include Brittney Page of Vernon, B.C., Marisa Field of Kelowna B.C., Claire Hanna of Calgary , Nadine Alphonse of Laval Que., Marie-Pier Murray-Methot of Quebec City, Janie Guimond of Becancour, Que. and currently injured Tiffany Dodds of Lucky Lake, Sask. Also returning are new setters who recently competed in their very first international competition last month in the Continental Olympic Qualifying Event in Tijuana Mexico, Jaclyn Ellis of Mississauga, Ont. and Kelci French of Okotoks, Alta.

A couple of great Canadian family volleyball traditions are also being continued on the team with Rebecca Pavan, sister of Sarah Pavan being chosen for the squad, and Taylor Pischke, the daughter of Garth Pischke the legendary head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons. Taylor's brother Dane was also chosen for the men's national B team earlier this month. Thirdly, Alicia Perrin was selected, brother of men's A team squad member Gord Perrin, both of Creston, B.C.

Six athletes who competed at the 2011 FISU Games in Shenzhen, China last summer were also chosen: Shanice Marcelle of Victoria, Alicia Perrin of Creston, B.C., Lisa Barclay of Brandon, Man., Kristi Hunter of Dauphin, Man., Jaimie Thibeault of Sylvan Lake, Alta. and Tricia Mayba from Winnipeg who also competed at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Tesca Andrew-Wasylik of Unionville, Ont. and Michaela Reesor of Caledon, Ont. who were alternates for the 2011 FISU Games were also selected. Marie-Sophie Nadeau who also competed in China was unable to make the selection camp due to injury, but will be flying to Winnipeg later this week to join the squad as well.

The 34 players selected to Canada's National A & B women's volleyball team (club and hometown):

Alberta
Claire Hanna, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Calgary
Jaimie Thibeault, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Sylvan Lake
Kelci French, Trinity Western University, Okotoks
Lauren Moncks, Trinity Western University, Standard
Colleen Ogilvie, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Calgary
Dani Smith, Vancouver Island University, Beaverlodge
Lia Stang, University of Alberta, Provost
Jenice Warkentin, University of Alberta, Sexsmith

British Columbia
Marisa Field, Envacom Volleys Sinsheim, (Germany), Kelowna
Brittney Page, Sollentuna VK, (Sweden), Vernon
Shanice Marcelle, University of British Columbia, Victoria
Alicia Perrin, Trinity Western University, Creston
Malena Rapaport, University of Toronto, Vancouver
Brooke Halvorsen, University of Calgary, Vancouver
Royale Richardson, Trinity Western University, Rocky Mountain House

Manitoba
Tricia Mayba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Lisa Barclay, University of British Columbia, Brandon
Kristi Hunter, University of Manitoba, Roblin
Taylor Pischke, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Winnipeg
Megan Cyr, North Carolina State University, St. Andrews

Ontario
Jaclyn Ellis, Univeristy of Alberta, Mississauga
Michaela Reesor, Samford University, Caledon
Tesca Andrew-Wasylik, University of Winnipeg, Unionville
Vanessa Chorkawy, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Lively
Jennifer Cross, University of Michigan, Scarborough
Rebecca Pavan, University of Kentucky Kitchener
Kelly Nyhof, Humber College, Georgetown
Rachel Roorda, Brock University, St. George
Vicky Savard, Universite de Montreal, Ottawa

Quebec
Nadine Alphonse, FKB Volley Duedingen (Switzerland), Laval
Marie-Pier Murray-Methot, Val-de-Travers (Switzerland), Quebec City
Janie Guimond, Sport Club Municpal Craiova (Romania), Becancour
Marie-Sophie Nadeau, Universite de Montreal, Montreal

Saskatchewan
Tiffany Dodds, Full-Time Training Centre (Winnipeg), Lucky Lake

Source: Volleyball Canada with files from OCAA Communications