15-year-old Abby Wasutyk was named to the U17 national volleyball team. (Submitted photo/Rick Wasutyk)

By Teena Monteleone

Team Canada

P.A’s Wasutyk selected for U17 team by Volleyball Canada

Jul 1, 2023 | 4:00 PM

The sky’s the limit for a 6’1″ volleyball player from St. Mary High School in Prince Albert.

After a successful season with the Marauders and helping the Saskatoon based Huskies 16U club volleyball team to a provincial silver medal, Abby Wasutyk will now suit up for Team Canada’s U17 roster.

“It feels like a really big responsibility but I’m very excited and happy to do it because I think I’ll be a good role model for other people from small towns like Prince Albert who want to do the same thing,” Wasutyk said.

Volleyball Canada made the announcement in advance of the 2023 Canada Cup. The selected athletes will train from July 6 – July 18, in St. Catherines, ON. Team Canada Red and Team Canada White will then compete at the Canada Cup from July 19 – 23 at the Canada Games Park and Brock University.

“We are very excited to identify a new crop of athletes to be part of the National Team Development pipeline”, said Next Gen Coach Carolyn O’Dwyer in a press release. “This program is very important as it will allow us to identify athletes younger, create meaningful opportunities for them to train and compete and align them technically and tactically with our national team program.”

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Wasutyk, who plays in the middle blocker position, is one of only three Saskatchewan athletes on the roster. Her father, Rick, said it’s well deserved for a kid who gives it 100 per cent all of the time.

“Right when school starts, St. Mary’s Senior A team practices Monday to Thursday after school for two hours and then there are tournaments almost every weekend up until December. Once high school season is done, club season starts and goes until May, so she’ll be in Saskatoon three to four times a week. Then she’ll play with Team Sask or Team Canada and that takes us until the end of July. So basically, she just gets August off,” he said.

Wasutyk is a multi-sport athlete who also excelled in fastpitch. She previously played with the 222’s – a team made up of top players from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta who travel to play in the winter and spring.

“I’ve had a lot of coaches tell me I can move very well for my height. I’m very quick at the net and from my softball experience – just throwing softballs – it has really helped me be able to hit hard. I just have so much fun,” she said.

Wasutyk will be entering Grade 11 at St. Mary High School this fall. Her ultimate goal is to play USport volleyball and also continue at the national level.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertNOW