College of the Rockies' women's Avalanche volleyball has signed Winter Knudsgaard, a local 5 ft. 7 in. setter from Kimberley, BC for the 2022/2023 season.
Knudsgaard is currently a grade 12 student attending Selkirk Secondary School and plays with both the Storm Senior Volleyball team and the East Kootenay Volleyball Club. Having primarily filled the roles of setter and left side throughout her years of competitive volleyball, Knudsgaard competed in the junior provincial championship in 2019 and qualified for Senior AA Provincials, which were cancelled due to COVID-19. Winner of the Selkirk Athlete of the Year award in both 2018 and 2020, Knudsgaard also represented the Kootenay Zone at the BC Cup held in Kamloops in 2019.
While attending the College, Winter will be enrolled in the Education program, held in partnership with the University of Victoria, with hopes of teaching at the elementary level internationally.
"I made the decision to attend College of the Rockies for the opportunity to play with some really talented girls and because of the amazing opportunities the College offers for academics and athletics," Knudsgaard said. "I'm also very close to home, my friends, and family, which isn't something many people get to have when they attend post-secondary. Bryan is also a really amazing coach and I'm super grateful that I can continue to be coached by him even after graduation."
Coach Bryan Fraser is looking forward to continuing to watch Knudsgaard develop as a player.
"I've had the opportunity to work with Winter in a variety of settings the past three years and I have been extremely impressed with her undeniable passion for the game of volleyball," he said. "She is always the hardest worker in the gym, and it has shown through her development the past few years. I am excited she decided to join our program as she fits perfectly into the culture we are trying to build. Winter will be a great athlete to have in our gym and help grow our program further in the right direction."
PACWEST competition resumed for the 2021/22 season after the 2020/21 season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Road closures in parts of B.C. due to flooding have resulted in some changes to the playing schedule. The schedules for the women's and men's teams can be found at goavalanche.ca.
