Women’s Volleyball
Athletes of the Week: Ryerson’s Diressa, Calgary’s Pexman honoured
Throughout the 2017-18 season, U SPORTS sits down with one key athlete, coach, and staff member of each U SPORTS athletic program in our new interview series “Getting to know…”
Name: Courtney Baker
School: Dalhousie University
Sport: Women’s volleyball
Position: Setter
Year of eligibility: Third
Program: Kinesiology
Hometown: Bridgewater, N.S.
1. What attracted you to Dalhousie?
Dalhousie is close to my hometown. The volleyball program has been successful in the past and Halifax is a nice city. The campus is set right downtown in Halifax so there is always lots to do.
2. What’s your favourite memory, and your greatest athletic achievement as a U SPORTS student-athlete?
When I travelled for the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei this past summer. It was a crazy experience and got to know a lot of really cool people.
3. Where are you hoping your path will take you after university?
I am hoping to continue to pursue my opportunities with volleyball, with the Senior Women's National Team and professionally and see where these opportunities take me.
4. Who’s had the greatest influence on your athletic career?
Definitely my mom. She coached me in volleyball when I was 11 years old and continued to coach me in junior high school. She’s my biggest fan and has been there to encourage me and do everything to support me to pursue my athletic dreams.
5. Who is someone in the sports world, past or present, with whom you’d love to have dinner with? Why?
Probably the setter from the Japanese national team. She has all the tools and skills a setter should know to be the best. Or someone like Michael Jordan to just hear about all his crazy experiences and he seems like a really interesting person who knows a lot about being the best in his chosen sport.
6. What is your pre-game ritual? Do you have any superstitions/idiosyncrasies around preparing yourself for a game?
I don’t have many superstitions or pre-game rituals, although I always put my socks, knee pads and shoes on from left to right and I always like to eat one or two bananas before a game. And to get ready for the game I liked to listen to my music.
7. What’s your go-to song to get pumped up for practice or a game?
Currently I really like Cardi B. For the past few weeks Freaks by Timmy Trumpet has been good.
8. What’s your favourite social media account to follow?
9. If you could try another sport, what would it be and why?
Basketball for sure. I played it growing up before I started volleyball and loved it.
10. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you as an athlete?
I think I’ll keep that under wraps. Not ready for everyone to hear about that!