(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds women’s volleyball team is naming 6’0” middle Olivia Elgersma as the first member of their recruiting class of 2020.

The 18-year-old, from Neerlandia, Alberta, has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent, and will join the Reds ahead of the 2020-21 Atlantic University Sport season.

“The balance that is pushed between athletics and academics through the Reds program was a big pull for me,” said Elgersma. “The accepting atmosphere I felt during my recruiting visit, and the knowledge Coach Biggs has to offer, were factors too.”

Elgersma is completing her Grade 12 year at Barrhead Composite High School, in Barrhead, northwest of Edmonton, and is a three-year veteran of the Gryphons senior varsity team. She helped Barrhead win sectional and regional titles, and qualify for the provincial high school championship tournament in her first and final seasons with the Gryphons.

Elgersma played the 2020 club season with the Northern Alberta Volleyball Club. In 2019 and 2018, she was a member of the Ravens Volleyball Club. She’s also a former member of the Knights Volleyball Club. Also, in 2018, Elgersma was part of an NBC Camps team that spent two weeks touring and playing in Europe.

“Olivia is a highly motivated and passionate student-athlete, and will be a great addition to our Reds family,” said Reds head coach Christine Biggs. “Her well-rounded skill set and diversity will be a huge asset to our program in the coming seasons, and we’re excited to see her continue to grow.”

While the middle is her primary position, Elgersma can also play the role of right-side hitter.

“I hope to grow as a player, and absorb everything Coach Biggs has to offer skills-wise,” she said. “Long term, I’d like to become an impact player and help keep the community atmosphere the team has going for it now.”

Elgersma will pursue a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology, while attending UNB.