Windsor's Williams highlights Canadian women’s basketball roster for 2015 Summer Universiade

OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport, in conjunction with Canada Basketball, announced Thursday the student-athletes and staff members who will represent Canada in women's basketball at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea (July 3-14).

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index

The team features two CIS standouts alongside 10 players from the NCAA. Korissa Williams from the University of Windsor and Laura Dally from the University of Saskatchewan, both five-foot-nine guards, will represent CIS in Gwangju.

Williams is the only returning member from the squad that finished eighth at the 2013 FISU Games in Kazan, Russia. In her final season with the Lancers in 2014-15, the Amherstburg, Ont., product was named the CIS defensive player of the year and a first-team all-Canadian, was voted MVP of the national championship, became the first player in CIS women's basketball history to win five national titles (along with teammate Jocelyn LaRocque), and received the BLG Award as the CIS female athlete of the year across all sports.

Dally, who hails from Bright's Grove, Ont., has been named an all-star in each of her four university campaigns, including a selection on the third Canada West unit this past season, her first with the U of S Huskies after transferring from Western. She was also voted a tournament all-star at the 2015 CIS championship.

The rest of the Canadian team heading to South Korea is comprised of guards Sami Hill of Toronto, Karly Roser of Hamilton and Dakota Whyte of Ajax, Ont.; forwards Wumi Agunbiade of Pickering, Ont., Adut Bulgak of Edmonton, Michelle Hudyn of Kitchener, Ont., and Meg Wilson of London, Ont.; and centers Quinn Dornstauder of Regina, Abigail Fogg of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Ruth Hamblin of Houston, B.C.

"International experience is key for the growth of these athletes. This summer will give these athletes the opportunity to play the international game," said Fabian McKenzie from Cape Breton University, who returns as Team Canada head coach for the second straight Universiade and was also an assistant coach in 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia. "It's an honour to coach this group and I look forward to us competing on the international stage."

An all-CIS crew will assist McKenzie in Gwangju as Michèle Bélanger from the University of Toronto, Jeff Speedy from UNB and Ryan Thorne from McGill round out the coaching staff. Performance analyst Sunny Ahluwalia from Simon Fraser, therapist Patrice Pépin from Canada Basketball and team manager Sarah Barnes from Queen's will also make the trip to South Korea.

In the preliminary round of the 16-team tournament, the Canadian squad featuring seven players who stand six-foot-one or taller will compete in pool A against Hungary (July 5), host South Korea (July 6) and Mozambique (July). The gold-medal final is set for July 13.

The other groups are made up of the reigning three-time champion USA, Czech Republic, China and Italy in pool B, Russia, Sweden, Japan and Mexico in pool C, as well as Australia, Taiwan, Brazil and Uganda in pool D. The Americans have captured a record nine titles since the inaugural FISU tourney in 1961.

Two years ago in Russia, Hungary beat Canada 60-55 in the seventh-place game. For their part, South Korea and Mozambique did not field a team in Kazan.

Canada's best result at the biennial FISU Games in women's basketball is a pair of bronze medals in 1979 (Mexico City) and 1991 (Sheffield, England).

TEAM CANADA ROSTER 
 
Pos.  Name   Ht University  Hometown 
F Wumi Agunbiade 6-1 Duquesne  Pickering, Ont.
F Adut Bulgak  6-3 Florida State       Edmonton, Alta.
G Laura Dally   5-9 Saskatchewan  Bright's Grove, Ont.
C Quinn Dornstauder  6-4 Arizona State   Regina, Sask.
C Abigail Fogg   6-4 South Dakota   Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
C Ruth Hamblin   6-6 Oregon State   Houston, B.C.
G Sami Hill   5-10 Virginia Tech  Toronto, Ont.
F Michelle Hudyn  6-2 Missouri   Kitchener, Ont.
G Karly Roser   5-10 Northwestern          Hamilton, Ont.
G Dakota Whyte   5-8 Wisconsin   Ajax, Ont.
G Korissa Williams 5-9 Windsor   Amherstburg, Ont.
F Meg Wilson   6-2 Simon Fraser           London, Ont.

STAFF        

Position   Name   Affiliation  
Head Coach        Fabian McKenzie  Cape Breton
Assistant Coach        Michèle Bélanger Toronto
Assistant Coach        Jeff Speedy  UNB
Assistant Coach  Ryan Thorne  McGill
Team Manager         Sarah Barnes  Queen's
Athletic Therapist    Patrice Pépin   Canada Basketball
Performance Analyst Sunny Ahluwalia Simon Fraser

UNIVERSIADE POOLS & TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME):
 
Pool A: South Korea, Hungary, CANADA, Mozambique
Pool B: USA, Czech Republic, China, Italy
Pool C: Russia, Sweden, Japan, Mexico
Pool D: Australia, Taiwan, Brazil, Uganda

July 5 (10:00): Canada vs. Hungary
July 6 (17:30): Canada vs. South Korea
July 7 (17:30): Canada vs. Mozambique
July 9 (TBD): Quarter-finals
July 11 (17:30/20:00): Semifinals
July 12 (21:00): Bronze
July 13 (18:00): Final

CANADA'S ALL-TIME UNIVERSIADE RESULTS IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:

2013 Kazan, Russia: 8th / 16 teams  (champions: USA)
2011 Shenzhen, China:  6th / 15   (champions: USA)
2009 Belgrade, Serbia: 15th / 16   (champions: USA)
2007 Bangkok, Thailand: 7th / 16   (champions: Australia)
2005 Izmir, Turkey: 11th / 20    (champions: USA)
2003 Daegu, South Korea: 13th / 17   (champions: China)
2001 Beijing, China: 6th / 19    (champions: USA)
1999 Palma, Spain: 7th / 16    (champions: Spain)
1997 Sicily, Italy: 9th / 16    (champions: USA)
1995 Fukuoka, Japan: 7th / 16   (champions: Italy)
1993 Buffalo, USA: 14th / 15   (champions: China)
1991 Sheffield, England: 3rd / 16   (champions: USA)
1989 Duisburg, Germany: No tournament -
1987 Zagreb, Yugoslavia: 6th / 18  (champions: Yugoslavia)
1985 Kobe, Japan: 4th / 10   (champions: USSR) 
1983 Edmonton, Canada: 6th / 11  (champions: USA)
1981 Bucharest, Romania: 6th / 17  (champions: USSR)
1979 Mexico City, Mexico: 3rd / 13  (champions: USA)
1977 Sofia, Bulgaria: 6th / 17   (champions: USSR)
1975 Rome, Italy: No tournament  -
1973 Moscow, USSR: 10th / 16   (champions: USSR)
1970 Turin, Italy: Canada DNP   (champions: USSR)
1967 Tokyo, Japan: Canada DNP  (champions: South Korea)
1965 Budapest, Hungary: Canada DNP  (champions: USSR)
1963 Porto Alegre, Brazil: No tournament -
1961 Sofia, Bulgaria: Canada DNP  (champions: Bulgaria)
1959 Turin, Italy: No tournament  -

DNP: Did not participate

Source: CIS