107.5 2DAY FM Athlete of the Week

The College of the Rockies Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Week is second-year outside hitter Olivia Harder, who delivered two strong performances against the nationally top-ranked Capilano Blues in a crucial weekend for the Avalanche’s playoff push.

With Capilano entering the matchup as the #1-ranked team in Canada and the Avs needing one win to clinch a PACWEST playoff berth, the stage was as high-pressure as it gets. On Friday night, despite a slow team start, Olivia found her rhythm early in serve receive and held strong throughout the match. The Avs struggled to generate points and make key defensive plays in the first two sets, but momentum improved in the third as Olivia contributed several impactful swings. She finished the match with a 2.37/3 passing score, 4 kills, 3 digs, and 1 block, leading the team in serve receive.

On Saturday, the Avalanche came out with renewed intensity, jumping to an early lead in the first set. Although missed serves cost the team late, sets two and three were tightly contested. Harder was a focal point offensively, scoring in bunches throughout the match and providing the consistency needed to stay competitive. She recorded 7 kills on 32% efficiency along with 3 digs, once again being one of the Avs’ most reliable performers.

Head Coach Bryan Fraser praised Harder’s growth and impact:
“Olivia has been working hard at her game this season and I’m happy to see her receive this recognition! She has everything required to be a quality outside in this league, and we saw that on display over the 2 weekend games. Her serve receive was awesome on Friday, and her attacking was much needed for us on Saturday. It was great to see her rise to the occasion!”