College of the Rockies' women's Avalanche volleyball team has signed Payton Bauer, a 5 ft. 10 in. middle from Elkford, BC for the 2022/2023 season.

Bauer, who has been playing volleyball since 2015, is currently attending Grade 12 at Elkford Secondary. She competed in her last high school season with Fernie Secondary and in 2017 and 2019 competed with High Altitude Volleyball Club. Since 2019, she has played with the Fernie Volleyball Club, primarily in the middle position. Some highlights of Bauer's volleyball career to date include competing at the Senior Girls A High School Provincials and representing the Kootenay Zone at the BC Cup.

"I decided to sign with College of the Rockies for the opportunity to continue playing the sport that I love at a higher level," Bauer said. "I am excited to build new relationships and to work with my new teammates. I have previously been coached by Bryan and have enjoyed the opportunity to work with him and look forward to doing so again."

While attending the College, Bauer will be enrolled in the Engineering program, with direct transfer to the University of Victoria.

"I've had the opportunity to coach Payton through both our College of the Rockies High Performance Women's Volleyball Camp and the Volleyball Canada Regional Excellence program," Avalanche women's coach Bryan Fraser said. "She is an athletic middle with a quick arm. Most importantly, she's like a sponge when it comes to taking feedback and implementing changes, which is demonstrated through her development over the past few years. Payton is a high-achieving student and we're excited to have her join our program for the 2022-23 season."

PACWEST competition resumed for the 2021/22 season after the 2020/21 season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The schedules for the women's and men's teams can be found online.