Electric Erica

The rest of the PACWEST should be put on notice again…Erica Bolink is returning to the Camosun Chargers for her fourth season!

She has been absolutely brilliant in her first three years in Charger blue, successfully putting dents in gym floors with her powerful kills.  Last season she collected 318 kills in the regular season as the focal point of the Chargers offence.   From the service line she has the hardest serve in the Conference, and it shows in the stat line as she collected 73 aces in 74 sets played.

Last year she led her team to a PACWEST silver medal adding 10 more kills in the gold match and was named a championship tournament All-Star.  She was also honoured as a First-Team All-Star for her work during the regular season.

This will be her final year in the PACWEST and has a few attainable goals in mind outside of winning a national championship, “As a team, our goal is to strengthen our connection both on and off the court. With a new coach and some new faces, we want to continue building our identity by competing the right way and creating a culture of trust and communication where every player feels valued.”

“Individually, I want to reach 1000 career kills since I am just over 100 away, but more than that, I want to soak up every “first last” moment and make this senior year one to remember.”

Heading into her senior year she has had an opportunity to look back on her fabulous career to date with one memory that stands out among the others, “My most memorable moment was in 2023, right before the CCAA National Finals. Our team turned off the lights in the locker room, turned on our flashlights, and sang “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan together. It is hard to describe, but that moment of being surrounded by my teammates and seeing all our hard work come together for one last match was so surreal. I still get chills whenever I hear that song.”

Looking at the PACWEST record books, only four athletes have ever reached the 1000 kill plateau with Bolink trying to become the fifth.  She is almost certain to reach that mark and with another season like last, she has an opportunity to set a new PACWEST record for kills in a career.  Currently Jodi Enns of the CBC Bearcats holds the career record of 1278, reachable for Bolink.

Despite all the power she possesses, her biggest strength is actually her mental toughness, “Last year, with help from my coach Brent, I focused on letting go of pressure and playing more freely instead of letting statistics define me. I take pride in being someone my teammates can count on to stay composed, bounce back quickly, and deliver in high pressure moments.”

Her volleyball prowess on and off the court has opened some memorable doors for her and this offseason was yet another one, “I had the incredible opportunity to work with Volleyball Canada as a student Athletic Therapist. It gave me the chance to observe and learn from some of the country’s top athletes and gain new insight into how I can elevate my own performance, recovery, and consistency throughout the season.”

Bolink and the Chargers will begin their quest to the top of the PACWEST on Friday October 17 when they host the Douglas Royals in their home opener.  Bolink will soak it all in as she begins her final season of collegiate volleyball.