Athletes of the week

Niko Rukavina

Men’s volleyball

Last weekend, the Queen’s men’s volleyball team dominated the court with victories against the McMaster Marauders and Guelph Gryphons. The wins were highlighted by second-year outside hitter Niko Rukavina’s performance.

On Saturday, Rukavina made 10 kills, two service aces, seven digs and, in the fourth set, hit 15 straight serves against the Marauders, who endured their first loss since 2007. On Sunday against Guelph he added another 10 kills and two service aces.

In his second year on the team, head coach Brenda Willis said that Rukavina has improved immensely.

“What Niko is doing now is exactly what we’ve asked of him; he’s become a stable serve receiver and a smart hitter,” she said.

With only one year of club experience before coming to Queen’s, Rukavina said he’s come a long way since he started playing at the university level.

“When I came to Queen’s, I didn’t have a lot of confidence and I wasn’t the best player. Then I had a lot of extra practice, improved a lot in first year, and now I’m helping out the team.” After last weekend’s success against McMaster, Rukavina believes the team can carry their momentum into the OUA’s lone berth in the CIS championships.

“Now that we have conquered McMaster, I think a championship is attainable,” he said. “I feel that we have the confidence to do that.”

—Julie Stewart-Binks

Brittany Moore

Women’s basketball

Brittany Moore made history last Wednesday night, but you would never know it talking to her.

The second-year guard on the women’s basketball team scored 40 points against the Royal Military College Paladins on Jan. 7, carrying her team to a 79-64 win at Bartlett Gym. She set a new Queen’s record for points scored in a game, overtaking former Gaels’ standout and current assistant coach Claire Meadows.

Moore’s modesty is evident when asked about her record-setting performance.

“It’s pretty cool,” she said. “I didn’t really notice it while I was playing. After the game a couple of people came up to me to let me know. It’s exciting.”

She is quick to deflect individual accolades, though.

“During the game I could tell that I was pretty hot,” she said. “The team was able to recognize that. They helped give me the opportunity that I have to make those shots.”

While the RMC game was the peak of Moore’s season so far, she has been consistently solid and ranks first in the OUA for points scored, averaging almost 20 points per game. As for her goals for the rest of the season, she speaks from a team perspective rather than an individual one.

“We want to work our way up,” she said. “One big goal right now is to make playoffs and win the division.”

Record-setting modesty.

—Katie McKenna

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