SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Hilary Howe ('21, Calgary), Brie King ('19, Langley), Avery Heppell (Langley, B.C.), and Kayle Plouffe (Sherwood Park, Alta.) are lacing up for Team Canada at the Women's Pan-American Cup.
 
Team Canada has already won a game at the tournament, defeating Puerto Rico in three sets on Monday (25-17, 25-16, 25-18). All four athletes representing Trinity Western featured in Canada's victory over Puerto Rico, as Howe led the Canadians in attacking points by scoring nine.
 
Heppell, a fourth-year eligible player starting this fall, and Plouffe, a first-year, are coming off the heels of their time with Canada's NextGen team. The NextGen program serves as a gateway for younger players to make their way into the Canadian national team.
 
Heppell has featured prominently for the Spartans throughout her three full seasons of play, amassing a total of 426 kills in 64 matches played.

Howe and King recently represented Canada at the NORCECA Continental Championship, winning bronze as they both featured in prominent roles for the national team.
 
Howe, who recently graduated from TWU last spring, will be building on her successful international career thus far. Pan-American Cup will stand as her third international appearance in 2021. Howe also represented Canada at the Summer Universiade, the Pan American Games, NORCECA Champions Cup, and the NORCECA Continental Championship. Howe recently signed her first professional contract with the Beziers Angels, a French team playing in the prestigious Ligue A Féminine.
 
Brie King was a Canada West all-star and two-time conference champion throughout her career with the Spartans (2016 and 2019), has also gained incredible traction on the international stage since she graduated from TWU in 2019. King earned Canada's starting setting role for the 2020 FIVB Continental Olympic Qualification tournament. She has now also had two professional experiences, playing in Germany in 2019-20 with Dresdner SC 1898 and with Athletes Unlimited this past spring. King will be alongside Howe with Beziers in France.
 
Six nations will be represented in this year's NORCECA Continental Championship. Canada–who earned a medal in 2019's edition of the tournament–will be returning to play against the Dominican Republic, the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
 
The action resumes for Canada as they square off against Cuba on Tuesday.
 
ROSTER
Courtney Baker, Bridgewater, NS
Natasha Calkins, Grande Prairie, AB
Hannah Duchesneau, Newmarket, ON
Avery Heppell, Langley, BC
Courtney Hillier, Fredericton, NB
Hilary Howe, Calgary, AB
Brie King, Langley, BC
Melissa Langegger, Oakville, ON
Caroline Livingston, Kelowna, BC
Julia Murmann, Toronto, ON
Jayde Robertsen, Vancouver, BC
Kaylee Plouffe, Calgary, AB
Kennedy Snape, Kelowna, BC
Nyadholi Thokbuom, Calgary, AB
 
TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE
Sept. 13 | Canada (3) vs Puerto Rico (0)
Sept. 14 | Canada vs. Cuba | 12:00pm (PT)
Sept. 15 | Canada vs. USA I 2:00pm (PT)
Sept. 16 | Canada vs. Dominican Republic I 4:00pm (PT)
Sept. 17 | Canada vs. Mexico I 2:00pm (PT)
Sept. 18 I Semi-finals
Sept. 19 I Final
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.

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