Cougars Women's Volleyball Find Trio of Sask Middles

Cougars Women’s Volleyball Find Trio Of Sask Middles

BRANDON, Man. (July 14^th, 2023) — Keira Gifford, Heather Brost and Marie Dunster will cross the Saskatchewan boarder to play for the Cougars women’s volleyball team.

Gifford hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she recently graduated from Holy Cross High School. She is a multisport athlete, having participated in soccer, dance, softball, flag football, ringette, competitive lane swimming and of course, volleyball. Gifford’s sister influenced her to try volleyball and she instantly had an attraction to the sport. She is 5’9” and played middle blocker for the Holy Cross Crusaders. She also played club with JCVC from U13 to U17 and this last season with the Central Valley Volleyball Club.

“My strongest attributes in volleyball are my ability to keep a level head and a positive attitude,” said Gifford. “I am really looking forward to meeting a new group of girls and being able to play the sport I love at the next level.”

“Keira will be a welcome addition to our team with a good skill set and a very team first attitude,” said Cougars coach Kevin Neufeld. “She loves volleyball and has a passion to be successful.”

Gifford achieved Holy Cross Principals honour roll with above 85% average. She will be taking the college’s Business Administration program in the fall.

Brost is also a middle blocker and comes to us from Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. She graduated from Sun West Distance Learning Centre. Playing club volleyball provided another community and outlet for her. She played for the Southwest Raiders club from U14 through to this last season in U18, where she earned her stripe as captain of the team.

“I am passionate about volleyball. I love the team spirit,” said Brost. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and am looking forward to a great year being on the team.”

“Heather is a vibrant personality who plays the game with high energy and tremendous joy,” said Cougars coach Neufeld. “She is a bouncy athlete who can get in the air in a hurry.”

Brost volunteers her time at the Cypress Lodge Nursing home and is looking to enhance her knowledge and skills in the industry. She will be taking the college’s Health Care Aide program in the fall.

Dunster is from Esterhazy, Saskatchewan where she is the youngest of four kids that all help out in the family owned grocery store. She graduated from Esterhazy High School and played for the Warriors in the Good Spirit School Division. She was selected the volleyball team’s most valuable player in her graduating season. Dunster is 5’9” and continued to hone her skill with the Esterhazy Storm club team and eventually joined the Rocanville Brash in her final year, where she served as captain.

“I’m confident in my hitting and serving,” said Dunster. “I love that volleyball is team oriented and I like to be competitive and I have a lot of fun playing it!”

Dunster was selected as the school’s 2020 female athlete of the year. Esterhazy High School proudly hangs a banner of Dunster’s divisional 1^st place finishes in both shot put and high jump. She then placed 8^th in shot put in the Saskatchewan High School Provinicials.

“Marie is a versatile athlete who has played a variety of positions,” said Cougars coach Neufeld. “She will be a very good middle player for us with her high volleyball IQ.”

Dunster achieved honour roll status from grade six through to her graduation last month. She is enrolled in the college’s Carpentry and Woodworking program in the fall.

“There are so many skills in this program that I can learn and use for the rest of my life,” said Dunster.

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About Assiniboine Athletics

The Assiniboine Cougars teams compete in men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s futsal (a variation of indoor soccer) in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) with the winner competing for the Canadian College Athletics Association (CCAA) championship. The women’s hockey team play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

About Assiniboine Community College
Assiniboine Community College has been providing exceptional learning experiences for more than 60 years, offering unparalleled learning environments and responding to the demands and requirements of the Manitoba labour market. Following the philosophy of “learn by doing,” programs combine theory with hands-on learning inside classrooms, labs, kitchens, shops, fields and the college’s Sustainable Greenhouse.

Assiniboine offers more than 60 certificate, diploma and post-graduate programs across a variety of disciplines including culinary arts and hospitality, business, agriculture and environment, health and human services, and trades and technology. The college also delivers apprenticeship programming in a range of skilled trades disciplines.

The college welcomed more than 3,700 full-time and 6,000 part-time students last year. With campuses in Brandon, Dauphin, Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Assiniboine provides comprehensive educational opportunities throughout Manitoba. The college also partners with many communities and organizations across the province to deliver customized education and training. Assiniboine’s annual provincial economic impact is $612 million. In the most recent survey of graduates, nine months after graduation, 94 per cent were employed, with 92 per cent remaining in Manitoba.

Assiniboine Community College campuses are located on the traditional territories of Treaty No. 1 and Treaty No. 2, the shared traditional lands of Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene and Anishinabek/Ojibwe peoples, and the homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge their welcome to the students who seek knowledge here.

For more information, please contact:

Kevin Neufeld

Women’s Volleyball Coach

Assiniboine Community College

wvolleyball@assiniboine.net

204-726-3282

Lindsay McLaughlin

Athletics Manager

Assiniboine Community College

cougars@assiniboine.net

204.725.8700 ext 6340