The Memorial Sea-Hawks sign new recruit Melissa Hatfield onto their women's volleyball roster for next season.

Hatfield is a 6'1" outside hitter hailing from Beaverlodge, Alberta. She has competed and played for some of the top high school (Beaverlodge Regional High School), and club (Grande Prairie Wolves) programs in Canada. Most recently, she competed for Team Alberta 17U this past summer in the Canada Cup, which was hosted in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Success on the court is the norm for Hatfield and her teammates, as she and her team has captured the Volleyball Alberta Provincial Championship the past two seasons at the 16U and 17U levels. Hatfield plans to study Physical Education when she arrives at Memorial University next fall.

Hatfield says she found a love for the game early, saying that when she plays it feels like everything else in life is put on pause and she can really enjoy the game. When asked how she found out about MUN's varsity program, she stated, I found out from Coach Slauenwhite through recruitment in the summer of 2018.
"To be able to play at the post-secondary level has been a dream of mine since I was young. I grew to love the Sea-Hawks and its program after touring the university, meeting athletes from the team, and enjoying the beauty of such an amazing province, which finalized my decision to play on the team and for the program."

When talking about the signing of Hatfield, Coach Slauenwhite stated, "Melissa is a top recruit, who is very dynamic, physical, and has a strong presence at the net. She brings with her a strong skill set, and a wealth of experience competing at the provincial and national levels. We are very excited to add Melissa to our Sea-Hawks family, and look forward to seeing her grow as an athlete in the AUS.

By: Darnell Downs