Women's Volleyball | 5/4/2017 4:31:00 PM

MONTREAL – Teammates Claire Vercheval and Myriam Robitaille from the McGill University women's volleyball team are headed out west to attend a national team open selection camp in Richmond, B.C., May 7-13.
 
The dynamic duo will become the ninth and 10th products from McGill who have participated in tryouts with the national program over the past two decades.

According to the Volleyball Canada website, newly-appointed head coach Marcello Abbondanza will use the camp to evaluate, identify and select a group of 18-24 athletes who have the potential to represent Canada on the international scene. About 14 athletes from this camp will be selected to compete for Canada at various tournaments, while the others shortlisted are expected to stay in Vancouver to train at the Richmond Oval, the new women's training centre which has been relocated after decades in Winnipeg.

Vercheval, a 6-foot-2 power-hitter with the Martlets, is a 21-year-old physical education major from Ste. Julie, Que., who received the Mark Tennant Award as U SPORTS rookie of the year and merited national all-rookie status. The first McGill freshman since 2006 to earn all-conference honours, she was voted as the RSEQ's top rookie. Vercheval started in all 20 regular season games and ranked fourth among league leaders in both points per set (3.33) and kills (2.84) per set. She also ranked fourth on the team in passing (1.74), kill percentage (19.4) and kill efficiency (16.4). She was sixth in service aces, averaging 0.17 per set. Defensively, she was third on the team in both digs (1.93) and blocks (0.47) per set.
 
Robitaille, a six-foot middle blocker from Terrebonne, Que., also won a national award, receiving the Therese Quigley Award which goes to the U SPORTS player who best combines volleyball with academics and community service. Robitaille was second on the Martlets in points (3.23) and kills (2.15) per set while leading the squad in aces per set (0.40). The 22-year-old junior is majoring in languages and French literature.

Previous McGill grads to participate at national team selection camps include Marie-Christine Lapointe (2015-2017), Kaiva Mateus (2012-2014), Daphnée-Maude André-Morin (2011-12), Jennifer Thompson (2009), Shauna Forster (2002), Elizabeth Jamieson (2002), Marie-Andrée Lessard (1999-present) and Wendy Whelan (1996-99). Lessard, 39, is currently Canada's longest serving beach volleyball athlete, having started her career in 1999. She has three national titles, played at the 2012 London Olympics and joins Lapointe as one of two McGillians to play beach volleyball on an international stage.