Women's Volleyball 3/8/2019 6:38:00 PM Fraser Caldwell, Sport Information Officer

Women's Volleyball: Multi-Sport Middle Paige Vrolyk Commits to Marauders

The Sarnia product is Tim Louks' fifth recruit for 2019

The fifth member of Tim Louks' recruiting class of 2019, Sarnia, Ont. product Paige Vrolyk will inject an intriguing combination of size and athleticism into the middle of McMaster's rotation in the fall.

A multi-sport athlete, with an OFSAA medal in long jump to her name, Vrolyk joined fellow middles Ellie Hatashita and Ana Strbac, as well as setter Nikolina Malic and defensive specialist Christina Stratford, in committing to the Marauders for 2019 and beyond.

"The most significant reason I chose to play volleyball at the postsecondary level was because of my experience and interactions with the coaches and players at McMaster," said Vrolyk of her commitment. "Almost immediately, I felt at home. When I walked into the gym for the first time, I felt butterflies of excitement. Every girl in the gym had dedication, determination and drive, and I wanted to be a part of that."

"Paige has demonstrated a real desire to be part of our program, and enter from the learning and foundational stage of her volleyball development," said Louks. "She is a great person of very solid character, who can influence our character and help those around her be better."

Named the most valuable player of her team at Sarnia's Twin Bridges Volleyball Club for each of the past two seasons, Vrolyk was a member of the Ontario Volleyball Association's Tall Maples High Performance Camp in 2017 and a previous winner of the OVA Award of Excellence.

Most recently, the 6'2" middle led her high school team at Sarnia's St. Patrick's to the Lambton-Kent regional final.

Stylistically, Vrolyk described herself as equal parts energy and focus, with a strong sense of timing trained through her commitment to both volleyball and long jump, which aids in the approach needed to both attack and block effectively.

"When I step on the court, playing volleyball is my focus," said the middle. "I can block out any distractions, and I treat each point as a new opportunity which I am determined to use."

Strongly committed to the academic component of the student-athlete, Vrolyk was impressed by the array of student supports available at McMaster and the attitude of the Marauders coaching staff that prioritizes academic needs. She has already received acceptance to both the Kinesiology and Life Science programs.

"As much as I love playing volleyball, getting my degree is equally important," she said. "It is comforting to know there is help if and when I need it."

The first order of business upon her arrival to the Marauders program will be building on Vrolyk's athletic foundation, and instilling the technical and tactical knowledge needed to craft her into a dangerous player at the U SPORTS level.

But Louks spoke confidently of her ability to make that progression with the positive attitude she has already shown he and his staff, and the wealth of experience they have at their disposal.

"It will be exciting to watch Paige grow as she develops her volleyball acumen, with the knowledge and experience that she will be immersed in when she enters our training room," he said.

"I think she is going to do very well, and time will bear witness to her development."

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