2025 ACAC Women's Volleyball Players of The Year
Edmonton, AB (February 19, 2025) –
North Female Player of the Year | AVERY BATES | Lakeland Rustlers:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Avery Bates of the Lakeland Rustlers as the 2024-2025 ACAC Women’s Volleyball North Player of the Year.
The fourth-year Right-Side had another spectacular campaign for the defending national champions, leading them to their first undefeated regular season in program history, while losing just one set all year. Bates averaged 3.23 kills per set with a remarkable .394 hitting percentage. This achievement is even more impressive considering she played fewer sets during the season compared to other team leaders, yet she still ranked sixth in kills per set.
Bates also recorded a career-high 17 service aces, along with 79 digs and 27 blocks, averaging .52 blocks per set, the highest in the ACAC among non-middle blockers. In a standout match against the King’s Eagles, she contributed 26 kills, 4 blocks, 2 aces, and 12 digs in just 6 sets.
Head Coach Austin Dyer praised Bates, stating, 'Avery has been a real treat to coach during her career. She strives for excellence both on and off the court, putting in hard work to maximize her potential as an athlete and individual.'
Hailing from Acme, AB, Bates is pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree. This season marks her second consecutive inclusion in the ACAC All-Conference Team and her first as ACAC Female North Player of the Year.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2025 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship hosted by the Augustana Vikings in Camrose, AB from February 20-22.
The Player of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Volleyball Alberta.
South Female Player of the Year | LAUREN JUNCK | Red Deer Queens:
Lauren Junck of the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Queens has been selected as the 2024-2025 ACAC Women’s Volleyball South Player of the Year.
Junck, a third-year outside hitter, played a significant role in helping the RDP Queens Volleyball team (13-6) finish second in the ACAC South Division and qualify for the playoffs.
“In her third year, Lauren was moved into a starting position where she quickly accepted the role of carrying the offensive load,” said Talbot Walton, Head Coach, Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Volleyball. “She had multiple games with double digit kills and is on the stats leaderboard for kills and aces.”
In 19 matches, Junck ranked third in ACAC Women’s Volleyball with a total of 234 kills. She also placed third with 0.58 service aces per set and fifth in the ACAC with 3.30 kills per set.
This season, Red Deer’s Junck contributed a total of 289 points (4.1 points per set), 97 digs, 41 service aces, 14 blocks and 12 assists while recording a 0.346 hitting percentage.
This prestigious award was recognized at the 2024/2025 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship hosted by the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings from February 20-22.
Junck, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology student, and the RDP Queens will play the NAIT Ooks in their first championship match on Thursday, February 20 at 1 pm.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2025 ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship hosted by the Augustana Vikings in Camrose, AB from February 20-22.
The Player of the Year award is proudly sponsored by Volleyball Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Kayla Beers, Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kaylab@acac.ab.ca