LANGLEY, British Columbia – The defending CIS-champion Trinity Western women's volleyball team will be well-represented at the 2015 Summer Universiade as four Spartans were named to Team Canada for the biennial event which will take place in Gwangju, South Korea July 3-14.

The 12-player roster will feature TWU setter Nikki Cornwall (Coquitlam, B.C.), libero Kristen Moncks (Standard, Alta.), middle Alicia Perrin (Creston, B.C.) and right side Elly Wendel (Caronport, Sask.).

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com  
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index  

Perrin, who completed her stellar university career this past season with her third all-Canadian selection in five years, is the only member of the Red and White roster with Universiade experience as she previously wore the Maple Leaf in 2013 in Kazan, Russia, and 2011 in Shenzhen, China. Perrin also earned international experience in 2012 when she wore the Canadian colours at the U23 Pan American Cup when the Spartans women's team represented Canada.

For Moncks, this will be her third experience with the national program as she too wore the Maple Leaf at the U23 Pan American Games and also trained with Canada's Senior B team last summer. Both Cornwall and Wendel will be wearing Red and White for the first time in their volleyball careers.

The coaching staff also has a Spartans flavour as TWU coach Ryan Hofer is the team's associate head coach. The Spartans Sophie Carpentier (Ottawa) will also remain in Langley and practice with the team in the lead up to the FISU Games as she was one of four alternative players who will train with the team.

The group of 16 players will continue to train on campus at Trinity Western University until June 26.

The 12-player roster that was officially named Monday morning is comprised entirely of CIS all-stars and is highlighted by strong representation from the gold, silver and bronze medal-winning teams from the 2015 CIS national championship. The lineup includes four standouts from the reigning champion Trinity Western Spartans, three apiece from the second-place Alberta Pandas and third-place Montreal Carabins, with the remaining two athletes coming from the UBC Thunderbirds.

A total of 30 players attended the national selection camp from May 31 to June 6 on the TWU campus.

Alberta standouts set to make the trip to South Korea include left side Meg Casault of Edmonton, middle Dione Lang of Killam, Alta., and libero Jessie Niles of Turner Valley, Alta.  

Montreal is represented by left side Marie-Alex Bélanger of Joliette, Que., setter Katia Forcier of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and right side Vicky Savard of Ottawa.

Rounding out the roster is the UBC duo of left side Danielle Brisebois of Bolton, Ont., and middle Abigail Keeping of Surrey, B.C.

Canada is coming off a sixth-place finish at the 2013 FISU tournament in Russia, which marked its best result at biennial competition since a program-best fourth position in 1997 in Sicily, Italy. The Canadian women had also placed fourth in 1983 in Edmonton.

In the preliminary round of the 16-team Gwangju tourney, Canada will battle in pool D against Turkey (July 4), Zimbabwe (July 5) and Thailand (July 6). The gold-medal final is set for July 11.

Two years ago in Kazan, Thailand beat Canada in straight sets in the quarter-finals on its way to a bronze medal. For their part, Turkey and Zimbabwe did not field a team in 2013.

The other groups for the 2015 competition are made up of host South Korea, Chile, China and Colombia in pool A, reigning champion Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Switzerland in pool B, as well as Brazil, Japan, the USA and Finland in pool C.

The Russians became the sixth different titlists in as many Universiade tournaments when they prevailed on home soil two years ago. The last team to repeat as FISU women's volleyball champion was China, which claimed three straight banners from 1999 to 2003.

TEAM CANADA ROSTER   
            
Pos.     Name                           HT       University                   Hometown
LS        Marie-Alex Bélanger    6-1       Montreal                      Joliette, Que.
LS        Danielle Brisebois        6-0       UBC                            Bolton, Ont.
LS        Meg Casault                 5-10     Alberta                         Edmonton, Alta.
S          Nikki Cornwall            5-10     Trinity Western            Coquitlam, B.C.
S          Katia Forcier                5-10     Montreal                      Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
M         Abigail Keeping           6-2       UBC                            Surrey, B.C.
M         Dione Lang                  6-4       Alberta                         Killam, Alta.
L          Kristen Moncks           5-9       Trinity Western            Standard, Alta.
L          Jessie Niles                  5-10     Alberta                         Turner Valley, Alta.
M         Alicia Perrin                 6-2       Trinity Western            Creston, B.C.
RS        Vicky Savard               6-1       Montreal                      Ottawa, Ont.
RS        Elizabeth Wendel         6-1       Trinity Western            Caronport, Sask.

TRAINING ALTERNATES

Pos.     Name                           HT       University                   Hometown
S          Jordhynn Guy              6-0       Calgary                        Calgary, Alta.
M         Alexane L. Joly           6-0       Montreal                      Montreal, Que.
LS        Sophie Carpentier        6-2       Trinity Western            Ottawa, Ont.
RS        Karly Janssen              6-1       Alberta                         Edmonton, Alta.

STAFF                                                                                                

Position                           Name                          University                Hometown
Head Coach                     Olivier Trudel             Montreal                   Montreal, Que.
Associate Head Coach     Ryan Hofer                 Trinity Western        Langley, B.C.
Assistant Coach               Michelle Wood           Acadia                      Toronto, Ont.                  
Team Leader                    Michael Ling               Queen's                    Edmonton, Alta.
Physiotherapist                 Laurianne Crevier       Montreal                   L'Île-Perrot, Que.

UNIVERSIADE POOLS & TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME):
 
Pool A: South Korea, Chile, China, Colombia
Pool B: Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Switzerland
Pool C: Brazil, Japan, USA, Finland
Pool D: Thailand, CANADA, Turkey, Zimbabwe

July 4 (20:00): Canada vs. Turkey
July 5 (18:00): Canada vs. Zimbabwe
July 6 (20:00): Canada vs. Thailand
July 8 (TBD): Quarter-finals
July 9 (15:00/20:00): Semifinals
July 11 (16:00): Bronze
July 11 (20:00): Final

CANADA'S ALL-TIME UNIVERSIADE RESULTS IN WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL:

2013 Kazan, Russia: 6th / 15 teams                  (champions: Russia)
2011 (Shenzhen, China): 11th / 15                   (champions: Brazil)
2009 (Belgrade, Serbia): 13th / 16                    (champions: Italy)
2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 11th / 16                (champions: Poland)
2005 (Izmir, Turkey): 12th / 21                       (champions: Taiwan)
2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 11th / 19              (champions: China)
2001 (Beijing, China): 8th / 15                         (champions: China)
1999 (Palma, Spain): 10th / 16                         (champions: China)
1997 (Sicily, Italy): 4th / 15                              (champions: Russia)
1995 (Fukuoka, Japan): 10th / 14                     (champions: China)
1993 (Buffalo, USA): 9th / 13                          (champions: Romania)
1991 (Sheffield, England): 11th / 16                 (champions: Italy)
1989 (Duisburg, Germany): No tournament
1987 (Zagreb, Yugoslavia): 7th / 19                 (champions: China)
1985 (Kobe, Japan): 6th / 9                              (champions: Japan)
1983 (Edmonton, Canada): 4th / 12                  (champions: Brazil)
1981 (Bucharest, Romania): 9th / 15                (champions: China)
1979 (Mexico City, Mexico): Canada DNP     (champions: USSR)
1977 (Sofia, Bulgaria): 13th / 19                      (champions: USSR)
1975 (Rome, Italy): No tournament
1973 (Moscow, USSR): 8th / 15                       (champions: USSR)
1970 (Turin, Italy): 13th / 13                            (champions: USSR)
1967 (Tokyo, Japan): Canada DNP                (champions: Japan)
1965 (Budapest, Hungary): Canada DNP        (champions: USSR)
1963 (Porto Alegre, Brazil): Canada DNP       (champions: Brazil)
1961 (Sofia, Bulgaria): Canada DNP              (champions: USSR)
1959 (Turin, Italy): No tournament

DNP: Did not participate

About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

About Volleyball Canada

Volleyball Canada is the National Sport Organization for volleyball, and has approximately 64,000 registered participants. Volleyball Canada fosters the growth and development of the sport in Canada, and oversees the national programs for indoor, beach and sitting volleyball.  For more information, see www.volleyball.ca

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships.

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