From training camp at McMaster, 12 invitees will be selected for the U21 NORCECA Panamerican Cup in Costa Rica the following week. NORCECA is the international governing body of volleyball in North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean. Canada finished fourth in 2024’s U21 Pan Am in Toronto, Ontario.
Although she has no experience working with Coach Faucher, Feist noted that she has one familiar face on the support staff: assistant Coach Jeff Ross previously guided Feist in her Grade 12 year on Team BC. She said she wasn’t expecting the invitation because of Volleyball Canada’s tendency to stick to athletes they’re more accustomed with through the national development program.
Feist recognizes that the team is looking for the most competitive practice players for the travel roster to Costa Rica, and she’s focused on displaying the qualities that make her a good teammate on and off the court. All the while, she knows she needs to beat out six other players to play a meaningful role on the team in July.
“The job is not done,” she said.
Feist will be facing competition such as her former teammate and Kelowna, B.C. native Taylor de Boer of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, an NCAA Division 1 program. Élodie Lalonde of the High Point University Panthers and Ella Piskorz of the Pepperdine University Waves were also invited from their Division 1 programs. The 18 athlete roster notably features eight invitees from Canada West.
In 2024, Feist played in 15 more matches than her rookie season and 72 more sets, becoming a key part of the serving rotation with 40 Service Aces, the most on the team. She ranked second on the team in total Kills and third in Kills/Set during her sophomore campaign, forming a dynamic front row with the Attieh sisters for the top seed Cascades. Feist also piled up 218 digs this past season, second most on the team, making her a valuable asset in the back row as well.
Volleyball Canada has kept tabs on multiple Cascades of late. Outside hitters Lauren and Talia Attieh along with setter Cailin Bitter were invited to Volleyball Canada NextGen tryouts on May 5, 2025.
Feist is hopeful the international experiences will lead to success when the Cascades return this fall.
“It’d be so cool to come back and be a starting squad front row of all Team Canada players.”
Feist grew up playing hockey with her brothers. She didn’t find girl’s hockey overly competitive at that age group, instead deciding to don the goalie pads to play in the boy’s division. She claims she was not forced in goal by her brothers and actually enjoyed making big stops. Her older brother, Tyson Feist, spent time with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in the American Hockey League, while Layton Feist most recently played in the Western Hockey League before joining the MRU Royals in 2024.
Following the NORCECA Pan Am in July, the same U21 roster will represent Canada at the FIVB Volleyball World Championships in August. FIVB is the worldwide governing body of all forms of Volleyball. Canada begins the tournament in Pool A with the likes of Argentina, host nation Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Serbia, and Vietnam.
With her days of stopping pucks long behind her, Feist looks to continue her all-star ascent in Hamilton for what she hopes is the first of three expeditions this summer.
