Briercrest women's volleyball team welcomes back middle player, Whitney Zylstra, for a second year on the court. Her skills and positive attitude will be an essential part of the team's success this season. Whitney is working hard to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology alongside the time she puts into athletics.

Zylstra started to consider Briercrest after a recruitment trip in her grade twelve year. 

“I didn’t really have any intention of actually attending Briercrest, but once I got here and got to know all the girls and saw what a great atmosphere it was, I started to consider it.”

After receiving encouragement from her parents, Whitney felt like Briercrest could be the school for her. “The following May I had signed with the Clippers!”

The great relationship between the girls on the team was an influencing factor in her coming to Briercrest and she has nothing but good things to say about the unity on the team this year.

“The group of girls that I play with are so amazing, and I think what makes our team special is that we’ve got each other’s backs,” she explained. “We’re so tightly knit and what we all have in common is our love for God, and that makes our bond so much stronger. It really unites us and allows us to relate with each other in ways that some teams may not be able to.”

When asked about what she brings to the team, Zylstra says it's her ability to support and encourage her teammates. She says, “I try to stay positive and build others up to do the same.” 

A favourite moment for Whitney was last season's home game against Grant MacEwan.

“It was such a great win because they were ranked number one in the country, and it was also such a huge building block for our team.”

Zylstra is driven in both aspects of being a student-athlete, always striving to excel.

“I want to work at my studies one hundred percent and do the best that I can,” she said. “As an athlete, my goal is to continually push myself to be the best that I can be, on and off the court.”

After completing her BA in Psychology at Briercrest, Whitney plans to further her education at Minot State University to obtain a Bachelor of Social Work.

“If nothing was holding me back, I would play volleyball for as long as I possibly could!” Zylstra concluded.