The 2017-18 VIU women’s basketball team returns this year with several key players.
Avery Snider is on her way to making a full recovery from a leg injury last season and the squad will be looking for her to be the impact player she is. Victoria Brown will also need to have a big year up front if the team hopes to be a contender.
The loss of All-Canadian Sienna Pollard is obviously a big one, and very hard to replace. Instead, Coach Tony Bryce has added depth and says he feels this will be a big strength for them as the season progresses.
There will be about six or seven new faces in the mix. Point guard Emma Platner from Oregon will bring a veteran presence to the backcourt and allow for some different looks on the perimeter. Olivia Mjaaland has come home after a solid rookie campaign at Quest, putting in a ton of time this offseason. Up front, Juliet King was a late addition. She will be returning to the Island after a year at Trinity Western University, and will give lend size and strength to the front court. All the new additions bring a little something different, and it will take time, but will be exciting to see how things play out.
“Overall, I not only like our mix of returning and new players, but also veterans and youngsters. Are we loaded with superstars? Probably not. But in the end I think we are going to have good depth, know our roles, be no fun to play against, and wear teams down. It will be a process, but I hope to be the team nobody wants to play come playoff time,” said Head Coach Bryce.
