Mount Boucherie standout volleyball player Kirsten Hill has signed with Simon Fraser University.
Hill, who has been playing volleyball for six years, put pen to paper on her commitment to SFU earlier this month.
It’s been a quick rise for Hill since she started her career with the Kelowna Volleyball Club before continuing on to school teams and the West Kelowna Volleyball Club.
“I fell in love with the sport and never wanted to stop playing,” she explained.
Hill was a first team all-star at the BC provincial championships in 2018 and 2019, as well as the UBCO Invitational Tournament in 2021.
She’s been a part of the Center of Excellence program since 2018, where their mission is to develop and shape young players into recruitment material.
It will be a major transition, moving from Kelowna to the Lower Mainland to attend SFU as a student-athlete, but Hill has been preparing for this next step in her life for some time.
“This can seem like a lot, which it is, however, I’ve been really working on balance and time management in my life now as I prepare for next fall,” she explained.
“I am constantly practicing these key components as they will help me excel at SFU. I‘ve been working on balancing my work load, friends and volleyball life as I continue to get closer to my time at SFU.”
With a 17-5 record, SFU is having one of their best seasons to date.
Ranked No. 3 in the West Region and this is SFU’s seventh consecutive winning season under head coach Gina Schmidt.
Coming to SFU in 2013, it only took Schmidt two seasons to lead the team to their first winning season in 12 years.
“Kirsten is a dynamic outside hitter with the ability to play at either pin,” Schmidt said about her latest recuit.
“She is accustomed to carrying a large load offensively for her high school and club teams. She is highly competitive and has a strong work ethic both on the court and in the classroom.”
SFU was Hill’s number one choice in her search for a university and she said the team, school and overall environment is what drew her to the campus on Burnaby Mountain.
“I hope to make new and long lasting friendships and bonds with these girls as I start this new chapter at SFU,” said Hill about her goals for this next chapter.
“I want to continue to see development and see growth within myself and use this to help the team to succeed.”
Macyn Unger, a senior from Prince George has also signed with the SFU women’s volleyball team
“We were very fortunate that Macyn and Kirsten were able to attend our modified summer camps and demonstrated their ability to play at the next level,” said Schmidt.
“They are not only skilled athletes but high character people and we are very excited to see the positive impact they will have in our program.”
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