EDMONTON, Alta – The NAIT Ooks women's volleyball team, led by their head coach, Erminia Russo Thorpe, take on the Augustana Vikings this weekend in their home opener on Friday, November 19th at 8:00 PM.
Last year, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russo Thorpe said, "I see a group of athletes wanting to improve and get out there and play after being off for so long. There is an excitement about being back in the gym and training." Due to the hiatus, a majority of the team hasn't played a season with the NAIT Ooks, says Russo Thorpe, "we have added 3, first-year players straight out of high school. We only have four players who have actually played a season with NAIT, so in a sense, we have 9 'rookies' even though they were with the program last year."
Russo Thorpe is a well-known NAIT name; she had a successful stint as the head coach of the NAIT Ooks Women's Volleyball team from 2010-2012, but a lot has changed since the last time she was here. Russo Thorpe has a whole new team to work with; she said, "our first couple preseason matches were a good opportunity to see where we are at, and after each set and match, there was an improvement, they were more comfortable with each other on the court and with me as their new coach. I am optimistic about the positive direction we are heading." Due to the pandemic, this season has been deemed a transition back to play with a reduced schedule.
They might be a young team, but they are willing to put in the effort; Russo Thorpe says, "this will be a team that is willing to put in the work and will steadily improve, and because of that, I believe we will be a contender in the ACAC."
The NAIT Ooks women's team will play their second home game on Saturday, November 27th, at 8:00 PM against the Concordia University Thunder.