By Davie Wong

            The Royals women’s volleyball team has wasted no time in their preparations for the grueling PACWEST season ahead of them. With the goal of a gold medal and National Championship berth in mind, head coach Jeff Ross has added several talented recruits from the BC area to his team to bolster the squad. Here is the full list of recruits as of now:  

Natalie Demers

5’8” Libero

T2 Volleyball Club 

Kelowna Secondary School (Kelowna, BC)

            Natalie Demers comes to the Royals as a rookie with plenty of prior experience. She brings many years of beach and indoor volleyball experience to the team. Her steadiness in the line of pressure will be a boon to a Royals team that is looking to add to their star studded roster.

The young libero had this to say about her arrival at Douglas: “I’m really excited to continue my volleyball journey with the Royals and be a part of this family”.

Emily Hoffman

5’11” Middle

T2 Volleyball Club

Penticton High School (Penticton, BC)

Like Natalie, Emily Hoffman comes to the Royals from the T2 Volleyball Club. As captain of her senior team at Penticton High School, and assistant coach of the grade 10 team, Emily gained very valuable leadership experience. She’ll be taking that with her as she begins the next step in playing career, joining the Royals as they battle for a title. “I’m very excited to begin my career with the Royals,” says Emily. “I can’t wait for the challenge”.

Bailey Zulinick

6’0” Outside Hitter

Junior Heat Volleyball Club

George Elliot Secondary (Lake Country, BC)

When the Bailey Zulinick put the pen to the paper to sign her letter of intent to Douglas College, the Royals signed a winner. A 3x Athlete of the Year at George Elliot Secondary, and MVP winner across a variety of tournaments, the talented star has already attracted the eye of many a teams in BC with her performances. Her commitment to the Royals has made one of the strongest teams in the PACWEST even stronger.

“I’m really looking forward to starting my post-secondary career with the Royals volleyball family and excited to continue my volleyball journey”. – Bailey Zulinick

Sarah Watson

6’1” Outside Hitter

Junior Heat Volleyball Club

Kelowna Secondary School (Kelowna, BC)

Sarah Watson is a talented academic athlete with a bright future.  Her skills as an outside hitter will be a great addition for the Royals as they look to add offensive depth to their squad.

Watson was more than happy to share how she felt about committing to the Royals: “I’m really excited to experience the next level of volleyball and to learn a lot with the Royals. It’s going to be awesome to be a part of the Royals volleyball family and I look forward to the opportunities this will bring”. 

Caet McCorkell

6’1” Outside Hitter

Junior Heat Volleyball Club

Sa-Hali Secondary (Kamloops, BC)

            Caet McCorkell is a name well known to those familiar with BC Volleyball. A two time team BC player and 2nd Team All-Star, Caet has played competitive volleyball at a variety of levels. Recruited to the Royals from the Junior Heat, Caet joins her teammates Sarah and Bailey on the Royals lineup.

            " I’m incredibly excited to begin my first year with the royals and I can’t wait kick off my post-secondary career with this amazing group of girls” – Caet McCorkell

Laura Greene

5’11” Middle

Mariners Volleyball Club

Nanaimo District Secondary School (Nanaimo, BC)

            Laura Greene is a player who is definitely used to the spotlight and pressures that come with being a high performance athlete. A Junior Athlete of the Year award winner, Honour Roll student, and captain of Nanaimo District’s senior volleyball team, Laura brings a little bit of everything to the Royals. “I’m thrilled to be starting the next chapter of my life with the Royals,” the dynamic athlete said in an email. “I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and I’m excited about getting to know the team”

Kendra Potskin

5’11” Middle

Prince George Youth Volleyball Club

Prince George Secondary School (Prince George, BC)

            After years with the Prince George Youth Volleyball Club, in which Kendra played multiple roles, the flamboyant middle has made the commitment to play for Douglas College. An excellent student in the classroom, Kendra brings her wealth of academic knowledge with her as she furthers her role as a student of the game.