Sigurdson inducted to the ACAC Hall of Fame
Another Lakeland legend will live on in ACAC history and the Alberta volleyball community.
Rustlers women's volleyball alumni Rae Sigurdson was announced as an inductee to the ACAC Hall of Fame this week, joining fellow former athletes Kim Valleau, Cory Giroux, Jennifer Green, Grace Box and and Brody Hilland. She is the second Rustlers athlete to be inducted, after Michelle Genereaux (Women's Volleyball 1985-87) in 2014. The official induction will take place May 10, 2024 in Red Deer.
"It was shocking and unexpected at first," Sigurdson said of hearing the announcement. "But having a little bit of time to process everything, it's made me very grateful for my time at Lakeland and the team I got to be a part of."
"It's nice to reflect on that part of my life."
Coach Austin Dyer was emphatic in praising his former setter after hearing she was receiving the honour.
"Rae will forever go down as one of the greatest players to ever play for the Lakeland College Rustlers Women's Volleyball program and I am so proud of what she has and will continue to accomplish," he said.
Sigurdson earned a plethora of accolades during her time with the Rustlers. This includes four ACAC All Conference appearances (2015, 2017-2019), being named a CCAA Tournament All Star in 2017, the ACAC Women's Volleyball Player of the Year in 2019 and the Rustlers Female Athlete of the Year in 2018 and 2019.
Looking back at those years, Sigurdson said the dynamic of that team is what she remembers most vividly.
"I couldn't have done anything without the people I was surrounded by and I know I was super lucky to have the teammates I had and the coach that I had," she said.
She was the quarterback of the team that won the ACAC and CCAA Championships in 2017, kickstarting nearly a decade of dominance from the women's program at Lakeland. Sigurdson also helmed the ACAC title and CCAA bronze team in 2018 and ACAC bronze squad in 2019, collecting a total of three championships and five medals. After winning in 2017, she and her team went 23-1 in the regular season in 2018, before going 6-1 in the postseason. That level of success was not eclipsed in the ACAC until Lakeland won their second national title in 2023.
Originally, Sigurdson said she wasn't planning on going back to Lakeland after her second year, where things didn't go as well on the court as she wanted, and was going to focus on her academic standing only. Ultimately, she decided to come back and said their team culture transformed dramatically for the better that season.
"Personally, the transition from year two to three was big, but then it just carried over to year four, five and beyond," she said. "I think it was a lesson for me to learn, but also something I could show to younger players. It became all about personal growth, showing up for your teammates and being a part of something that's bigger than you and hoping that it continues when you're no longer there."
Statistically, Sigurdson was the all-time leader in assists for Lakeland, prior to Jana Laing passing her this past weekend, and is third all time in ACAC history, with 3,089. The 5'5 setter is also 29th all time in ACAC history for service aces with 102.
Additionally, Sigurdson also excelled off the court, fulfilling her calling as a student athlete, completing a Business Diploma with honours and collaborating on a Bachelor of Science degree from Lakeland and Athabasca University. She also earned distinction in both programs. Twice she was a CCAA Academic All Canadian in 2018 and 2019 and volunteered her time with the club volleyball program, camps, tutoring and the Lloydminster Continuing Care Home among other endeavors.
Coach Dyer said he knew that Sigurdson was going to accomplish great things, both during her time as a player and after graduation.
"When people ask me what separated her from other players I would instantly respond with, 'she had the IT factor, which is a mindset to always strive to be the best'," he said. "Her work ethic in the weight room, on the court, and in the classroom was second to none. She strived to be the best at everything and wouldn't stop until she got there."
"She was such a fierce competitor and played with tenacity that could not be matched by her teammates or opponents."
Currently in her second year of the Doctor of Optometry program at the University of Waterloo, Sigurdson has stayed in touch with Dyer, her teammates and the current Rustlers family from afar, tuning in to watch the live stream of senior night on Feb. 10 and reaching out to both Kaylie Lueck and Jana Laing to congratulate them on their time with the women's volleyball program. Those two graduates were youngsters with the program when she won Athlete of the Year in 2019.
"Makes you nostalgic for those good ol' days and it's rewarding and cool to see the way the dynamic has stayed," Sigurdson said. "I got to be a part of something that continued to grow after I left.
"It's something we talked about a lot back then, but one of those things that you don't really understand until it's behind you. I'm just grateful to have been a part of the Rustlers when I was and it's just been an honour to see it grow since I left."