Page
      11
      February
      16,
      2009
      SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      V-ball
      Lady
      Panthers
      say
      goodbye
      to
      some
      of
      their
      finest
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      By
      Kate
      VanGerven
      .
     
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nothing
      lasts
      forever,
      uni-
     
    

    
     
      versity
      volleyball
      included.
     
    

    
     
      This
      year,
      UPEI
      women’s
     
     
      volleyball
      says
      goodbye
      to
     
    

    
     
      -
      three
      leading
      players.
     
    

    
     
      A
      short
      and
      sweet
      ceremony
     
     
      was
      held
      Friday,
      Feb.
      6
      before
     
     
      their
      last
      game
      of
      the
      season
     
     
      where
      coach
      Lynn
      Boudreau
     
     
      and
      trainer
      presented
      small
     
     
      gifts
      to
      their
      three
      graduating
     
     
      players.
      Erin
      Kinsman,
      Lind-
     
     
      say
      Rodgerson
      and
      Rebecca
     
     
      Gallant
      have
      been
      with
      the
     
     
      team
      for
      the
      entirety
      of
      their
     
     
      time
      at
      UPEI
      and
      each
      has
     
     
      their
      own
      shining
      attributes
     
     
      that
      have
      helped
      to
      shape
      the
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      Erin
      Kinsman,
      a
      native
      of
     
     
      Charlottetown,
      plays
      middle
     
     
      for
      our
      Lady
      Panthers
      and
     
    

    
     
      _
      was
      an
      AUS
      All-Star.
     
    

    
     
      Lindsay
      Rodgerson
      hails
     
     
      from
      Summerside
      and
      has
     
     
      a
      number
      of
      credentials.
      at-
     
     
      tached
      to
      her
      name.
      Playing
     
     
      libero
      for
      the
      Lady
      Panthers,
     
     
      she
      has
      been
      called
      “the
      heart
     
     
      of
      the
      Panther
      defence,”
      and
     
     
      received
      the
      Pepsi
      Coach
     
     
      Award
      during
      her
      university
     
     
      career.
      Off
      the
      court,
      Rod-
     
     
      gerson
      was
      also
      involved
      in
     
     
      UPEI
      Athletics
      as
      the
      co-
     
     
      chair
      of
      Student
      Athletics
     
     
      Council.
     
    

    
     
      From
      Kensington
      comes
     
     
      Rebecca
      Gallant,
      an
      out-
     
     
      side
      hitter
      in
      her
      fifth
      year
     
     
      at
      UPEI.
      Gallant
      has
      an
      im-
     
     
      pressive
      record
      of
      over
      650
     
     
      career
      kills
      and
      an
      even
      more
     
     
      impressive
      presence
      on
      the
     
     
      court.
     
    

    
     
      Coach
      Boudreau
      and
      trainer
     
     
      say
      that
      Gallant
      “under-
     
     
      stands
      the
      sport
      and
      what
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panthers
      get
      a
      round
      of
      applause
      as
      they
      say
      farewell
      to
      some
      of
      their
      most
      beloved
      players.
      The
      team
      has
      on
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      way
      a
      lot
      of
      talent,
      and
      a
      brand
      new
      coach.
      VanGerven
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      takes
      to
      succeed.”
      A
      framed
     
     
      jersey
      with
      Gallant’s
      No.
      4
     
     
      was
      presented
      in
      recognition
     
     
      of
      all
      that
      Gallant
      has
      given
     
     
      to
      the
      team
      in
      her
      five
      years
     
     
      at
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      final
      game
      of
      the
     
     
      season,
      a
      strong
      sense
      of
      uni-
     
     
      ty
      within
      the
      team
      was
      easy
     
     
      to
      spot.
     
    

    
     
      Kinsman,
      Rodgerson
      and
     
     
      Gallant
      had
      a
      lot
      to
      do
      with
     
     
      this
      as
      they
      not
      only
      played
     
     
      to
      the
      best
      of
      their
      ability,
     
     
      but
      they
      also
      made
      sure
      to
     
     
      keep
      their
      teammates
      posi-
     
     
      tive
      throughout
      the
      races
      to
     
     
      2:
     
    

    
     
      This
      feeling
      on
      the
      court
      was
     
     
      demonstrated
      subtly
      through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      small
      acknowledgement
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      a
      good
      block,
      the
      encour-
     
     
      agement
      to
      forget
      about
      a
     
     
      missed
      point
      and
      their
      quick
     
     
      huddles
      after
      each
      point
      was
     
     
      scored.
     
    

    
     
      The
      three
      senior
      players
     
     
      did
      well
      to
      leave
      UPEI
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      something
      to
      remember
      them
     
     
      by.
      Rodgerson
      and
      Kinsman
     
     
      saved
      more
      than
      their
      fair
     
     
      share
      of
      points,
      almost
      scrap-
     
     
      ing
      the
      floor
      in
      their
      efforts
     
     
      to
      get
      the
      ball
      back
      into
      the
     
     
      air.
      Gallant
      too
      had
      a
      number
     
     
      of
      highlights
      throughout
      the
     
     
      game.
     
    

    
     
      Which
      was
      the
      most
      im-
     
     
      pressive?
      Gallant,
      with
      a
     
     
      single
      spike
      shot
      on
      three
     
     
      Acadia
      women
      to
      an
      embar-
     
     
      rassing
      position
      flat
      on
      the
     
     
      floor.
      Now
      that’s
      a
      legacy.
     
    

    
     
      But
      Feb.
      6
      wasn’t
      just
      the
     
     
      last
      game
      for
      Kinsman,
      Rod-
     
     
      gerson
      and
      Gallant.
      Lynn
     
     
      Boudreau
      has
      been
      with
     
     
      these
      girls
      every
      step
      of
      the
     
     
      way
      in
      her
      role
      as
      coach
     
     
      which
      she
      has
      held
      for
      the
     
     
      past
      eight
      seasons.
     
    

    
     
      Unfortunately
      for
      UPEI
     
     
      women’s
      volleyball,
      Bou-
     
     
      dreau
      has
      decided
      to
      step
     
     
      down
      from
      her
      coaching
      po-
     
     
      sition
      in
      order
      to
      spend
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      time
      with
      her
      family.
     
    

    
     
      On
      a
      positive
      note,
      Bou-
     
     
      dreau
      is
      keeping
      her
      respon-
     
     
      sibilities
      in
      the
      athletics
      de-
     
     
      partment,
      ensuring
      that
      she
     
     
      will
      always
      remain
      a
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      UPEI
      athletics
      scene.
     
    

    
     
      So
      is
      all
      lost
      next
      year
      with
     
     
      the
      absence
      of
      a
      seasoned
     
     
      UPEI
      coach,
      Kinsman,
      Rod-
     
     
      gerson
      and
      Gallant?
      Not
     
     
      quite.
     
    

    
     
      The
      team
      has
      a
      number
      of
     
     
      strong
      second
      and
      third
      year
     
     
      players
      who
      will
      continue
      to
     
     
      add
      their
      skills
      to
      the
      mixing
     
     
      pot.
     
    

    
     
      On
      top
      of
      that,
      there
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      few
      very
      promising
      first
     
    
   
   
    
     
      years
      to
      keep
      an
      eye
      on.
     
    

    
     
      Tomomi
      Sugeno
      is
      indis-
     
     
      putably
      the
      player
      farthest
     
     
      from
      home.
      A
      setter
      from
     
     
      Japan,
      Sugeno
      appears
      very
     
     
      comfortable
      with
      both
      her
     
     
      position
      and
      her
      teammates.
     
     
      Friday,
      Feb.
      6
      saw
      a
      strong
     
     
      game
      out
      of
      Sugeno
      who
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      consistently
      where
      she
     
     
      needed
      to
      be,
      providing
      per-
     
     
      fect
      opportunities
      for
      her
     
     
      teammates.
     
    

    
     
      Olivia
      Dolphin,
      another
     
     
      first
      year
      player
      plays
      the
      po-
     
     
      sition
      of
      middle
      for
      the
      Lady
     
     
      Panthers
      and
      was
      also
      very
     
     
      consistent
      during
      the
      Friday
     
     
      night
      game.
     
    

    
     
      She
      appeared
      to
      gain
      mo-
     
     
      mentum
      with
      each
      game
     
     
      they
      played,
      finally
      making
     
     
      several
      impressive
      blocks
     
     
      and
      tips
      over
      the
      net
      to
      gain
     
     
      a
      few
      last
      minute
      points
      that
     
     
      UPEI
      needed
      to
      secure
      their
     
     
      3-1
      win.
     
    

    
     
      These
      moments
      of
      play
      had
     
     
      Dolphin
      and
      the
      rest
      of
      her
     
     
      teammates
      beaming.
     
    

    
     
      With
      the
      amount
      of
      talent
     
     
      tucked
      away
      in
      those
      span-
     
     
      dex
      shorts,
      and
      a
      new
      coach
     
     
      who
      is
      sure
      to
      bring
      out
      the
     
     
      best
      in
      them
      the
      future
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Women’s
      volleyball
     
     
      team
      appears
      bright.