Eden Flyer lands close to home
Alguire is eager to play libero on Niagara College women’s volleyball team
The defence won’t rest for the Niagara College women’s volleyball team, not if Lauren Alguire has anything to say about it.
And Steve Dow, head coach of the Knights, expects the graduate of Eden High School in St. Catharines to say a lot once the 2020-21 season gets underway, hopefully in the fall.
He is counting on Alguire, who also played volleyball at the club level with the Niagara Rapids, to fill the void left at the libero position after Taylor Morrison and Ainsleigh Williams graduated.
“Lauren will be a great addition to our team and fill the depth we lost at libero with our graduating athletes,” Dow said. “I think, if she competes day in and day out with our starting lib, she will be a big part of our group this year as well as the years ahead.
“She has great body control and kinesthetic awareness.”
Alguire’s career goal is to become a certified occupational therapist to help athletes recover from sportrelated injuries.
Alguire also considered going to Brock University or McMaster University in Hamilton. She chose Niagara because the occupational therapist and physiotherapist assistant program is more hands-on.
“They just have a very welcoming environment,” the 17-year-old said.
“I just thought that would be a really good way to get the valuable experience that I wanted in my education,” she added.
While academics drove the decision on where she wanted to continue her education, athletics was a factor, too.
“Volleyball definitely had a big role in the school that I went to. It was the second thing that I was looking at for anywhere that I was looking to go to,” she said.
Once again, Niagara checked all the boxes.
“I did really like the team,” Alguire said. “A lot of the girls on the volleyball team are people who have either graduated from Eden in the past or they were at the club for competitive volleyball.”
Alguire appreciates that the speed and intensity of the game at the college level will be much higher than in club and high school volleyball.
“I went to go practise at Niagara, just to introduce myself to the team and the coach, and I found that it was a lot more fast-paced,” she said. “It was more serious than just a regular volleyball club. You’re just playing at the next level.”
The one-time outside hitter has become “very comfortable,” she said, playing libero after moving to the defensive specialist position three years ago.
“As much as I’ve loved hitting, I’m just very comfortable with the libero,” Alguire said.
“It’s a position that I loved to play.”
Dow went further afield for the second prospect in this year’s recruiting class. Hannah Heidinger, of Medicine Hat, Alta., opted to take the general business program at Niagara rather than remain out west and compete in an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference that is among the tops in Canada for women’s volleyball.
“Having Hannah commit from Medicine Hat shows the quality of academic and athletic programs that Niagara College currently has,” the second-year head coach said.
He described Heidinger as a “hard-working and athletic outside hitter (OH)” who will complement the program.
“With a number of graduating OHs this year, Hannah will be a big part of our program moving forward,” Dow said.
Heidinger is looking forward to starting the next chapters in her academic and athletic life far from home.
“Throughout high school, I have always been determined to achieve my goals to the highest standard in both my academics and volleyball career,” she said. “I chose Niagara College because I believe these attributes will be recognized and I will be able to utilize my talents and grow as an individual.”