Third-year Volleyball Mountie Rachel McDougall has enjoyed success with the volleyball program since her first year at Mount Allison. In her rookie season she was named the overall Rookie of the Year at Mount Allison and the ACAA and was also the team’s most valuable player.

From Calgary, AB, McDougall began playing volleyball in her early teens. She played for her school teams, as well as club teams — the Canuck Club, the University of Calgary Jr. Dinos team (U15-U17), and the Southern Alberta Volleyball Club (U18). She also played provincially for Team Alberta for two years. She was a four-time provincial champion and her team placed third at Nationals in her U16 year.

She says what she loves most about the sport is her teammates.

“We have a really awesome team this year with lots of talent. We have a lot of fun together,” she says.

An honours biochemistry student, McDougall spends a lot of time in the lab and on the court, but she also finds time to volunteer with Mounties in Motion, Let’s Talk Science, the Make-a-Wish Group, and the new student-athlete mental health initiative (SAMHI).

“I have become really good at managing my time,” she says.

With one more year left with the Mounties, McDougall is looking ahead to a medical-related career after Mount Allison.