It was a tremendous year on the volleyball court for Seanna Trumier.
The Prince Albert product and St. Mary grad was named the Sask Volleyball U21 Female Athlete of the Year. During her college season with Lakeland College, the Rustlers took home their second consecutive CCAA Women’s Volleyball title, defeating the Vancouver Island University Mariners in straight sets in the final.
Trumier says the individual award would not be possible without the team success around her at Lakeland College.
“It’s super sweet to be recognized, but I really give it out to my teammates. I think that I wouldn’t have got this award or got this opportunity if it wasn’t for my teammates right now in Lloydminster or my upbringing in Sask Volleyball. I’ve had great coaches and teammates along the way that have helped me get to this point that I am today. I’m thankful for them.”
Trumier had to step up when her team needed her early in the season. Due to injuries on the Rustler roster, she had to play left side instead of her natural position of libero. In 19 games this season, Trumier averaged 3.51 digs per set as the Rustlers finished with the best record in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) at 18-1.
For her efforts, Trumier was named to the ACAC North All Conference team.
Trumier says she was able to adjust to playing on the left side due to her experience playing the position in her high school career with St. Mary.
“I would do anything for my team to be able to keep playing and with those injuries, it’s just a matter of stepping up in a different position. It’s a position I used to play in high school, so it’s not completely unfamiliar, just getting those reps in to be able to play at the collegiate level definitely helps.”
In the ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship held at Lethbridge College, the Rustlers took down the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, Red Deer Polytechnic Queens and Ambrose Lions on their way to repeating as ACAC champions
In the CCAA National Championship hosted in Red Deer, the Rustlers would defeat the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers in straight sets in their opening game, before taking down the Capilano Blues in straight sets in the semi-final.
From December onwards, the Rustlers would only lose two sets, one to the University of Alberta-Augustana in conference play on December 1 and one to the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens in the ACAC tournament on February 23.
Trumier says the second championship has a little bit more extra meaning then the first.
“The first time was like ‘oh my gosh, it’s so exciting’. The second time, it’s even cooler to tell people we won it twice. We won back to back. A lot of coaches from Sask Volleyball, from my hometown in Prince Albert, and then also my coaches in Lloydminster. Everyone’s just so excited. It’s so nice to have all those people supporting me all the time.”
Trumier, who is entering her fourth season with the Rustlers this coming fall, says she is hoping win a third national title.
“The next goal for myself is for us to win it all again. We want to be three-time national champions. We got to put in the work to do that. (I’ve been training a bit this summer to be able to come back and then we could start right away in the fall. That’ll be exciting to be able to work again to get to our goal. Hopefully we’ll have another good season this year, we have quite a bit of our returning players except for two or three. That’s good to have that retention to be able to hopefully do it again.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
