NORTH BAY, Ont. - Riley Watson and Abby Crowne are officially welcomed to the Canadore Panthers women's volleyball team.
Watson, from Barrie, Ont., signed her letter of intent with Canadore College today. She is joining a very talented Panthers squad who are hungry in their "Get Your Claws Out - Quest for Gold" this year.
Watson, the 5-foot-10 setter, adds height and leadership to the Panthers line-up. She is currently playing in her fifth year of club volleyball with the Barrie Elites, where she has been team captain for the past two seasons. Riley boasts multiple volleyball MVP awards as well as other team sport accomplishments in badminton, basketball and soccer.
Riley says, "My passion is the game of volleyball. I think that is reflective in how I play the game each time I step on the court and by surrounding myself by it each day."
Canadore head coach Stefanie Hancock says, "She is a talented multi-sport athlete and now that she is focused on volleyball I will look to her athleticism when developing her skill sets. Having her height as a setter is definitely an asset, but even more she will boost us with her lively and contagious personality."
Crowne, from North Bay, Ont., also signed her letter of intent with Canadore College. She is looking to take over former CCAA all-Canadian Liza Grenon's place on the court.
Crowne, the 5-foot-11 right side, has taken a year off volleyball after playing club volleyball for six years. She was the captain of her high school volleyball team in both grade 11 and 12, a member of the region two volleyball team in the 2010 Ontario Summer Games, MVP for her high school volleyball in grade 12 and MVP of her U-18 North Bay Lakers volleyball club team.
Abby says, "I'm really looking forward to beginning my journey with the Canadore Panthers this upcoming season. Volleyball has always been a huge part of my life, and it is a dream come true to be able to play at the varsity level.
Coach Hancock says, "She is a left-handed, tall right side, what more can I ask for? Add in her extraordinary work ethic, and six years of experience…she's going to fill our right side gap quite nicely. I also think this year off has given her a new appreciation for the sport of volleyball and I expect she will have built up enough fire and passion to be a force on the court this year. I have no doubt she will be in peak performance shape come September."
Source: Canadore College