by By, Taylor Weaver, The Meridian Booster
Walkingbear Beats Rustlers Volleyball Record
Despite two losses over the weekend to the Grande Prairie Wolves, the Lakeland Rustlers men’s volleyball team had reason to celebrate as Savana Walkingbear (Thunderchild First Nation tribe) beat the school’s all-time kill record.
The former Lakeland College volleyball kill record, held by former student Kurri Carlson, was 677, and with Walkingbear’s 10 kills against the Wolves on Sunday afternoon, he now holds the school’s record at 680 kills.
Needless to say, Walkingbear, a bachelor of education student at Lakeland, was elated with this milestone, and he explained that a lot of hard work went into this accomplishment.
“It means a lot to me,” Walkingbear said. “I’ve been training inside and out of the gym, (and) I’ve been doing everything I can to be the best I can, and it just means so much to be recognized and honoured for something that I’ve trained so hard to get done.
“I was injured in yesterday’s game, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be playing (in) this game or not, but I pushed through it and I did the best I could out there, maintained my level, and did everything I could.”
Now in his third season with the Rustlers, Walkingbear also noted that, although breaking the school’s record feels good, he doesn’t plan on making a big deal of it.
“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “Being captain this year shows me a great amount of leadership. I have to support my teammates and myself to lead our team to all the victories I can.
“I play each game point-by-point, set-by-set, and I’m just here doing what I love doing, playing volleyball.”
Rustlers men’s volleyball head coach Taylor Dyer started his coaching career at Lakeland three years ago when Walkingbear began playing, and Dyer explained he has seen Walkingbear’s progress on and off the court come a long way.
“It’s been a treat to have Savana here,” said Dyer. “In his third year, he’s been an all-star every year he’s been here, and he just keeps proving that he belongs at the top of this league.
“Tonight was a great milestone for him. He leads all attackers and kills in Lakeland history, so that’s a pretty cool milestone for him, and he’s still got more to look forward to if he keeps working hard, and he comes back again for his fourth and fifth (year), and the ACAC record’s in reach too.”
Dyer described Walkingbear as a true leader who has developed as a student athlete over the course of his three-year volleyball career at Lakeland.
“He’s turned himself into a leader this year – in the classroom, in the gym, in all aspects,” Dyers said. “He’s one of our top academic students right now and he’s worked very hard to get to where he is right now, and I have nothing but the most respect for him for the stuff he’s been able to accomplish.”
Dyer added he didn’t think a record-breaking kill was on Walkingbear’s mind throughout this season, and it was something Dyer himself didn’t really talk about on or off the court.
“The volume of sets he gets, he got there a little bit quicker than I thought,” he said. “I thought it might have taken him a good majority of the season, and if he comes back for the fourth or fifth (season), the sky is the limit for him.”
So happy to see all these native students in college playing sports and doing great! Keep it up everyone! Proud of you all!!