Blazers WVB Raid the Bandits for Middle Pistawka
The CMU Women's Volleyball program is very pleased to announce the commitment of Peyton Pistawka for the 2023-24 MCAC season. The local Oak Park High and Bandits Club Volleyball product is the third recruit this offseason to come out of the Bandits club program, and will add strength up the middle of the Blazers' lineup.
A graduate of Oak Park in spring of 2022, Pistawka is coming off a gap year where she dipped her toes in the post secondary education landscape, choosing to work and continue playing club volleyball while taking an online class at the University of Manitoba. After missing out on her grade eleven high school season due to the pandemic, Pistawka was able to suit up for her final varsity year under a coaching staff with the Raiders that included Craig McKenzie, father of Blazers women's volleyball's Sahra McKenzie. The MHSAA "AAAA" WWAC division in which Oak Park competes included powerhouse teams St Mary's Flames, Vincent Massey Trojans, and the Sturgeon Heights Huskies, all three of whom made it to the semi-finals of the 2021-22 Provincial Championships, so Pistawka's Raiders battled the best in Manitoba on a regular basis throughout her final high school season. A multi-sport athlete that started her sporting endeavours on the softball diamond, Pistawka's love for the game of volleyball grew throughout her time in high school until volleyball became her main focus outside the classroom.
Pistawka's club career began at 14U with the Jr Bisons where she stayed until her 16U season, but in 2019 she took her talents to Bandits Club, where she continued her development under high school coach Craig McKenzie. Gaining valuable high calibre experience at Volleyball Canada Nationals at the 18U level the last two seasons, including just this past May in Calgary has helped Pistawka refine her game in the year since her high school graduation. Normally, youth club eligibility ends during the final year of high school, a season in which she suited up with 2022-23 Blazers WVB rookie Abby Cassidy; however, having a late calendar birthday allowed her to continue in the youth club system during the past year in the same program and year as fellow new recruits Chelsea Stewner and Bronwyn Holroyde. Like Stewner and Holroyde, Pistawka's Bandits team experienced top competition in California this past spring as the team was preparing for their Volleyball Canada Youth Nationals tournament.
With so many Blazers connections it's doesn't seem all that surprising that Pistawka has landed close to home at CMU, but for her the opportunity to play at the next level was never assured, so she's excited to take her game to the next level. The 5'9" middle will be continuing her psychology program at CMU while playing for the green and gold. Blazers women's volleyball head coach Jayme Menzies likes what she sees in her latest signing and the team-first attitude she can bring to training and games stating "Peyton's intellect, maturity, athleticism, and work ethic have me excited to get to know her more as an athlete and person. I am confident she will raise the bar in the middle position and contribute to a positive team culture."
The 2023-24 MCAC schedule has officially been released and the Blazers will aim to improve on their MCAC playoff appearance this February and push for a Manitoba championship when the new season begins in October. The winner of the MCAC championship goes on to compete at a national level at the CCAA championship tournament, with this past season's tournament held in Nanaimo, BC. The CCAA is the national body for collegiate athletics in Canada, offering 10 national championships in seven sports. Now finished its second full year of participation, the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference joins five other established CCAA conferences; PacWest (BC), ACAC (Alberta-Sask), OCAA (Ontario), RSEQ (Quebec) and ACAA (Atlantic).
Print This Article
