Aubree Sunderland is a clutch volleyball player who embraces the big moments.
It doesn’t get much bigger than the Canada Summer Games, so Sunderland is in her element as part of Team Saskatchewan, competing Aug. 19-24 in Week 2 of the Games at St. John’s, N.L.
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“I like to make big plays and switch momentum, whatever my role is at the moment,” said Sunderland, whose hometown is Kitscoty, Alta.
“I’m a middle blocker, so I like to have a big presence at the net.”
Sunderland comes from a sports-minded family, but she’s charting her own course as an elite volleyball player.
“I tried a lot of sports as a kid, but none of them really clicked until I started volleyball,” she said. “I feel like I just really love the sport. I love the people I meet. My height obviously helps.
“It’s been really good (progress in volleyball), so I’ll continue with it. I love to see myself grow.”
Sunderland, who just turned 17 this month, stands six-foot-one. She’s used to being on the taller side.
“Yeah, kind of my whole life, I’ve been a little bit above the crowd.”
She has stood tall on the volleyball court, whether playing high school with the Holy Rosary Raiders in Lloydminster, or with multiple club volleyball teams in the Border City and Saskatoon, and most notably as part of Team Sask.
COLLEGIATE PATH
Sunderland is going into Grade 12 at Holy Rosary this September. A year from now, she plans to join the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades in Abbotsford, B.C., to play U Sports volleyball on scholarship.
Last November, she verbally committed to attend Fraser Valley, which plays in the Canada West conference.
“Definitely early, but I felt at home, so I wanted to make sure that I’m going there.”
Sunderland is going places in the sporting world, just like her younger brother Brody, a prospect of the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. Aubree is two years older than Brody, who was a fourth-round selection in this spring’s WHL draft.
Throw two older brothers — twins Luke and Owen — into the mix and it’s that much more of a competitive household of athletic and academic achievers.
“Definitely (some competition) between me and Brody, kind of fighting for that spot,” Aubree said. “We’re both athletic. But I think we can share it.”
They both hit the road in the past year to further their respective sporting pursuits. Brody played U15 AAA hockey in St. Albert, while Aubree went to Saskatoon for club volleyball with the Huskies program.
“Yeah, I was really trying to put myself in the higher-competition level, more coaching, a different experience, and really get my name out there,” said Aubree, who previously played with Lloyd-based club teams — one year with the Rustlers and the next two seasons with Momentum.
MANY FAMILIAR FACES
Her familiarity with the club volleyball circle of girls has helped Sunderland adapt to playing on a provincial team mostly comprised of players from the major cities of Regina and Saskatoon.
“I know them pretty well from playing against most of them throughout the last few years, but I haven’t really been able to play with them until these (recent) training weeks, so it’s been really good to get close with the girls,” she said. “We’re a pretty tight-knit group right now.
“It’s been a lot of volleyball (this summer), but I’m really honoured to be doing it. I wouldn’t have it any other way, to be honest. Just the travel and the people I meet and the experiences I have.”
One of those experiences was Team Sask’s participation in the Canada Cup just a few weeks ago at Niagara Falls, Ont.
“We played in the Red Division, which is the highest division,” Sunderland said. “We played a few other provinces, but we were missing a few of our key players who were playing with some Team Canada programs, so I feel like our team is going to be a lot stronger for Canada Games.”
The feel of those Games is getting more real for Saskatchewan’s volleyball girls, who fly to St. John’s this weekend, after a final week of training in Saskatoon.
“I feel like I was a little bit nervous at first, but after we’ve been training for a bit, I’m just excited now to just be in the environment and be able to travel for this event,” Sunderland said.
On this occasion, her parents and siblings won’t be able to watch her live in Newfoundland, because they’re busy with Brody off to Spokane’s training camp and the twins returning to Augustana College in Camrose.
Aubree will represent Saskatchewan in style, decked out in provincial colours. She received kits — with swag, bags and apparel — from both the volleyball program and the overall Team Sask.
Wearing such clothing already gives her a taste of the Canada Games spirit.
“Yeah, definitely. It’s kind of nice walking around wearing that. You can really feel the pride.”
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