McCarthy, Cunha named All In Sports Den Keyano Huskies Athletes of the Week
Keyano College Huskies Athletics announced today that Women's Volleyball student-athlete Taya McCarthy (Dawson Creek, B.C.) and Men's Volleyball student-athlete João Cunha (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) have been recognized as the All In Sports Den Keyano Huskies Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, November 17, 2024.
McCarthy and Cunha played crucial roles for their respective sides this past weekend. The Women’s Volleyball Huskies split their weekend games on a road trip of the South Division while the Men’s Volleyball Huskies claimed a weekend sweep to move into the top spot in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference’s (ACAC) North Division.
“She was an offensive powerhouse, especially in day two,” Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Tommy Sloan said. “If we were going to beat SAIT in that game, she was the one that was going to will us there.
McCarthy recorded 25 kills, six digs, two blocks, and two aces across the pair of weekend games. The Dawson Creek, B.C. product collected nine of those kills Friday against the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks as the Huskies extended their season-opening winning streak to six games. She then added 16 kills in a four-set loss to the Trojans Saturday.
“She’s gaining a ton of confidence, especially offensively,” Sloan added. “She bounced back from the previous week where she probably wasn’t as happy with her own performance.
“This weekend she came to play.”
The second-year University Transfer student-athlete from Dawson Creek, B.C. has now recorded 67 of her 71 career ACAC kills this season, adding on 32 digs, and 10 aces.
On the Men’s side of the ball, Cunha continued to deliver as the team’s top offensive option. In the two weekend wins, Cunha accumulated 28 kills, five digs, four aces, and four blocks across a pair of wins in the ACAC's South Division.
"He led us on the court; he led us with his skills," Head Coach Keegan Kuhr said. "He was really dominant at Lethbridge and he carried that forward Saturday against SAIT. I couldn’t be happier with what he’s been through as well, coming back from an injury.
"It’s just awesome to see him slowly getting back to his old ways."
Friday, the Huskies handed the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks their first loss of the regular season, with Cunha earning 17 kills, two aces, two blocks, and one dig. Saturday, Cunha and the Huskies kept things rolling with a straight-sets victory in Calgary against the SAIT Trojans. Cunha recorded 11 kills, four digs, two aces, and two blocks as part of the winning effort.
The 2023-24 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year is leading the Huskies on the court with 88 kills. He’s also recorded 28 digs, eight blocks, and five aces to date.
The Keyano Huskies Volleyball teams return to the court at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre on Thursday, November 28 and Saturday, November 30 to host the Briercrest College Clippers and Medicine Hat College Rattlers. First serve for both gamedays is scheduled for 6:00pm.
All In Sports Den Keyano Huskies Athletes of the Week
November 17, 2024: Taya McCarthy (Women’s Volleyball) & João Cunha (Men’s Volleyball)
November 10, 2024: Jaylynn Twin (Women’s Basketball) & DJ Haynes (Men’s Basketball)
November 3, 2024: Saige Kehoe (Women's Volleyball) & Keenan Miller (Men's Basketball)
October 27, 2024: Kaylynn Tucker (Women's Basketball) & Rafael Parada (Men's Volleyball)
October 20, 2024: Harleen Singh (Women’s Soccer) & Dylan Stewart (Men’s Soccer)
October 13, 2024: Anke Wijnbergen (Women's Soccer) & Michael Lungu (Men's Soccer)
October 6, 2024: Harleen Singh (Women's Soccer) & Josh Fitzpatrick (Men's Soccer)
September 29, 2024: Ayla Taller (Women’s Soccer) & Hafid Arellano (Men’s Soccer)
September 22, 2024: Norah Horsley (Women’s Soccer) & Kofi Boateng (Men’s Soccer)
September 15, 2024: Ayla Taller (Women’s Soccer) & Jacob Marshall (Men’s Soccer)
September 8, 2024: Natalie Orellana (Women's Soccer) & Aaron Ernst (Men's Soccer)