Star volleyball veteran signs with Olds Broncos

INNISFAIL - Innisfail's Jordyn Shewchuk is ready to take her game to the next level.

The 17-year-old volleyball veteran has played the sport for the past four years with Innisfail High School and with Queens Volleyball Club in Red Deer and the Rebels (U-18) Volleyball Club in Airdrie.

She recently signed a one-year contract with Olds College and will play for the 2017-18 Broncos women's volleyball team starting in September.

"I'm definitely excited to go to another level than what I've played at with school and club volleyball," said Shewchuk. "I'm excited to get to that next level with girls that have been there and compete with the best teams that are in the same league."

Standing at almost 6 feet tall it wasn't hard for Broncos coach Landon Thompson to spot Shewchuk and her skills on the court.

"He really paid attention to my athleticism at the net," said Shewchuk, noting her strong offensive and defensive abilities. "He really liked my quickness and my ability to move."

Earlier this year in February, Shewchuk participated in a three-day tournament in Las Vegas where a number of coaches and scouts from U.S. colleges also took notice of her court skills.

"I had interest from Baltimore, a private school in Manhattan, New York and a couple of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) schools," she said. "I never would have expected all these schools to be interested in me.

"I was really considering them, but for myself I felt Olds was the right fit," she added, noting some of her short- and long-term goals. "We have provincials coming up in a couple of weeks and we're going to nationals in Edmonton the first weekend in May.

"I'm hoping (we) place in the top division."

In September her focus will all be on the court in Olds.

"I want to try my best at absolutely everything and give 100 per cent on the court and off the court," Shewchuk concluded.