Dakin turning pro in Slovenia

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This article was published 18/10/2016 (3246 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Victoria Dakin always looked up to Brandon University Bobcat women’s volleyball players Teagan Hunter and Erin Visch-Krahn.

Now she’s following in their footsteps. When Hunter and Visch-Krahn went overseas to play professionally, it put the idea in Dakin’s head of doing the same, but she debated whether to finish her education degree first or just go overseas after her five years with the Bobcats.

After exhausting her Canadian Interuniversity Sport eligibility after the 2014-15 season, the Calgary product decided to complete her practicums and last year of schooling before getting an agent in April. Her plan has come to fruition as the six-foot outside hitter left to join her first professional team in Slovenia on Sunday.

“I’m excited,” Dakin said before flying out. “Getting a little bit anxious because it’s going to be so far. I got to see my parents and family every few weeks or maybe once a month when I was in Manitoba and I won’t be able to do that with this. At the same time, it gives them a chance to come over to Europe and see me play in a different league and different atmosphere.”

Luka Koper was the second team to offer Dakin a contract. She received one from a team in Israel in July, but turned it down due to the civil unrest in that part of the world and hoped another would come her way.

When Koper came up, she jumped at the chance for numerous reasons, including the level of play and reviews of the city and team.

“I have been communicating with the coach’s daughter, who is also on the team. She’s communicated with me a lot in the last few days and has answered so many questions and sent pictures and told me where the grocery store is and all this stuff. That made me a lot more comfortable,” said Dakin, who is second all-time on the Bobcats for aces (99), third for kills (804) and fourth for digs (696). “My agent told me that every player that he has sent from his agency there said it’s not a bad transition at all and the club makes you feel like you’re at home and helps you out with your needs, so that makes me a little more calm.

“Originally my agent said that anywhere in Europe will be a little bit lower than in Canada West of CIS just because we have a really high level over here. When he offered me this one, surprisingly he said this is a really great level for an entry level contract for a professional, so that’s good.”

Luka Koper finished fourth in the Slovenian League’s regular season last year with a 12-6 record before falling in the quarter-finals.

Dakin is looking forward to meeting her new teammates and is treating the upcoming season as a chance to play professionally, explore and travel. The 24-year-old has never been to Europe before.

She’s not expecting a huge culture shock or language issues as Koper is a port and has a lot of tourism as a stop for cruise ships. It’s also less than half an hour from Croatia and Italy and Dakin has friends playing volleyball around the continent as well who she hopes to connect with while overseas.

With this year being about volleyball and exploring, Dakin doesn’t want to decide yet whether she’ll pursue a long-term professional career, but this season may help her decide the course her career takes.

“It’s not really in my mind right now. At the moment, I just want to experience it,” she said. “It’s not so much about the volleyball as the whole experience of getting to travel and my family the opportunity to come over. But who knows, we’ll see.”

NOTES: The Bobcats men’s volleyball team is holding its alumni game at the Healthy Living Centre on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The program’s first two international players — Australians Cam Blewett and Paul Sanderson — will take to the court in the contest. It will be Blewett’s first time wearing Bobcat blue since leaving Brandon in 2007. … There are still openings for the Mini Cats Volleyball program, which starts on Sunday, Oct. 23. The beginners age group, for children in grades 1 to 6, will focus on the basics of the sport like how to pass, serve, blocks and have fun while playing. The camps run for seven weeks on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. The cost is $100 per child. For more information, contact Grant Wilson at wilsong@brandonu.ca or 204-727-7405.

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