Ever since she started getting serious about the sport as a ninth-grader, Nicola Bevington has held the dream of playing volleyball at the post-secondary level.
That dream will come true this fall, when the 6-foot outside hitter reports to Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., to begin her U SPORTS career with the Excalibur varsity women’s team. The current Grade 12 student at SMUS recently committed to the Trent program.
“I started playing volleyball in middle school post-Covid, but my true love for volleyball didn’t start until my first season of club in Grade 9,” Bevington says. “I was drawn to the sport mostly because of my height to be honest, and since basketball wasn’t my favourite, I thought I would give volleyball a try.”
Bevington, whose father Jeff played basketball for the University of Victoria Vikes, has forged her own path in volleyball. By Grade 10, she was already contributing significantly for the SMUS Senior Girls team. In Grade 11, she helped the Blue Jags reach the BC AA Championship tournament and, in her senior season, she served as SMUS team captain.
"Nicola has been an incredibly important part of our Senior Girls team's success over the past three seasons, contributing in multiple positions and roles," said Melanie Bendfeld, SMUS's volleyball head coach. "Her commitment to both academics and athletics has helped her find the right post-secondary fit. Nicola is one of a small number of athletes from our volleyball program to pursue the challenge of playing at the next level, and we are excited to see her continue her career at Trent. We are proud of her for taking this next step into U SPORTS."
She has also been successful on the club circuit, playing for the Victoria Volleyball Association. Bevington participated in the national club championships in 2024 and 2025 and played for Team BC in both 2023 and 2024.
“I have thought about playing post-secondary volleyball since I started playing club in Grade 9, but it only became a true goal at the start of Grade 11,” she says. “I realized that it was something I could actually do, and I started filming all of our games and emailing coaches.”
Bevington found a good fit at Trent, which competes in Ontario University Athletics, part of the U SPORTS system. She will begin studies for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing this September.
“The coaches and the team at Trent are so kind and welcoming that it felt like the right fit immediately,” Bevington says. “The nursing program is outstanding, and it is a school that I know I will thrive at both athletically and academically.”
Bevington has certainly thrived at SMUS, playing for Head Coach Melanie Bendfeld and enjoying both the academic and athletics offerings at the school.
“Overall, my time playing volleyball at SMUS has been quite positive,” she says. “My teammates have been absolutely amazing, especially during my three years on the Senior team. Each year had a different highlight – from being the only Grade 10, to having the best group of teammates, to being the only third-year and captain.
“All of my coaches and teachers have supported me throughout this journey, but the person who has helped me the most is my academic advisor, Ms. Bateman. She has helped me navigate all of my applications and has managed to fix all of the many curveballs thrown my way.”
Bevington is most looking forward to meeting new people at Trent and “exploring this new chapter while learning and growing at the next level.” She feels ready for what will be both a fresh challenge and an exciting opportunity.
“Balancing academics and high-level volleyball is not easy and I am sure it will only keep becoming more difficult, but I have learned how to manage my time and put in hard work through my experiences so far,” she says. “I have also learned to live a healthy and active life, while managing many different activities and stresses.”
