Athletes of the week

Dan Rosenbaum
Dan Rosenbaum

Dan Rosenbaum
Men’s volleyball

Setter Dan Rosenbaum led the Queen’s men’s volleyball team to two straight-set victories over the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Waterloo Warriors this past weekend. Rosenbaum finished the weekend with an impressive 65 assists and added another 11 digs, two stuff blocks and a service ace.

Rosenbaum is in his second year of eligibility and took over the starting duties this year from graduating All-Canadian setter Devon Miller.

Head coach Brenda Willis said she was pleased with the growth she has seen from Rosenbaum.

“Dan could have picked any program he wanted as he was highly regarded and sought after after high school,” Willis said. “He chose to spend the year training and being mentored by Devon Miller and realized there was a lot to be gained. His progress over the year was terrific.” Willis said Rosenbaum’s success on the court isn’t solely due to athletics.

“Dan’s one of the principal scholars, he’s an extremely bright man,” Willis said. “It is a bit of a game of chess in volleyball, trying to create one-on-one situations, isolating hitters. Dan is good at that part and he is getting better all the time.”

Willis said Rosenbaum has yet to reach his peak and will continue to grow as a player.

“He’s learning to trust his athleticism,” she said. “He’s still working on some things related to location on the court. It’s just about getting more and more consistent out there.”

Rosenbaum said he was introduced to volleyball through his high school sports program and then he moved on to city club teams.

“I started playing in Grade 10, also playing club that year,” Rosenbaum said. “Going into Grade 12 was my first summer on the provincial team and that’s when I started to realize I could play in university.”

Along with the mental side of the game, Rosenbaum said he enjoys being part of a team and working towards a common goal.

“I like the team aspect of it; it’s really a team sport,” he said. “Being around a group of guys and doing something successful as a group is great.”

Rosenbaum was appreciative of his experience last year under Miller’s tutelage, saying it motivated him to work harder.

“I didn’t really see a lot of court time last year with Devon being around,” he said. “I worked really hard last year.”

Rosenbaum said he enjoys the starting role, but he still has work to do.

“It’s still only my second year,” he said. “There are a lot of aspects I need to work on.”

The Gaels currently have a record of 7-2 and sit second in the OUA standings. Rosenbaum is determined to help the team continue to climb the standings.

“Ultimately the goal is to win the OUA championship and move on to the CIS. Only one team from the OUA moves on, so we’re focused on that.”

—Anand Srivastava

Lorna Button
Women’s volleyball

Second-year outside hitter Lorna Button was a crucial part of the women’s volleyball team’s successful weekend. She put up 11 kills and added nine digs in a straight-set win over the Laurier Golden Hawks Saturday and then contributed 10 kills, 13 digs and four service aces in another straight-set victory against the Waterloo Warriors Sunday.

Button said the wins were great for the 5-4 Gaels’ confidence.

“It felt really good just because it was two games that we could be really excited about winning,” she said. “They were good teams.”

Button started playing volleyball in Grade 7. She said she quickly began to take it seriously.

“I tried out for my school team and made it, and my school coach gave me the information to try out for a club team,” she said. “I did and I made it and I’ve just been playing ever since.”

Button said the team-oriented nature of the sport appealed to her.

“I liked being part of a team because I always did individual sports before that,” she said. “I just like the intensity of the game and everything about it.”

Button said it was a combination of athletic and academic factors that enticed her to come to Queen’s.

“I just really liked the campus,” she said. “I knew they had a good nursing program. … I met the team when I came up and they were really welcoming.” Button said coming to Queen’s during a rebuilding year gave her the chance to play a lot in her rookie season.

“It was also a good opportunity, having a younger team, because last year I started and a lot of first-years don’t normally get to,” she said. “A lot of us were first-years starting, so it was a good opportunity for us.”

Button said she enjoys the cohesiveness of this year’s team, which is full of young players. The Gaels have seven rookies, five second-year players and three third-year players on their rosters.

“We do a lot more together off the court as a team, so we’re a lot tighter that way,” she said. “We just communicate really well on the court together. Our rookies are really talented, so we have a good team.”

Button is one of the more experienced players on the squad, but she said she prefers to show leadership through her actions instead of her words.

“I try to lead in a different way, not being the cheerleader type,” she said. “I don’t really feel pressured to be a leader, but I still try to be.”

Button has high goals for both herself and her team this season.

“It’s to make it to the OUA Final Four this year as a team, and just keep playing the way I’ve been playing.”

—Andrew Bucholtz

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