Former Stampede rodeo princess Caia Morstad is now a left-side power for the Trojans. NICOLE SANTERRE PHOTO

Standing tall beside the net at five-foot-eleven, petroleum engineering student Caia Morstad crushes the competition as one of the Trojans women’s volleyball team’s menacing new left sides. Her height and incredible athletic abilities have helped Morstad’s number seven jersey stand out.

Morstad, a first-year SAIT student from Swift Current, boasts a power-packed resumé with experience from multiple teams and clubs throughout Canada and the US.

She has played for both the University of Saskatchewan Huskies as well as the Middle Tennessee State University’s Blue Raiders.

Morstad’s new coach Art O’Dwyer said he’s thrilled to add her to the team.

“She has a great sense of humour and very good leadership skills,” said O’Dwyer. “I see her do small things with the players that really help to build the team.”

Prior to Morstad’s court crushing days at SAIT, she was an ambassador for Calgary as a princess in the 2007 Royal Trio. Making over 400 appearances throughout North America, Morstad represented the Stampede as a member of rodeo royalty.

“I grew up showing horses and riding really competitively,” said Morstad. “So I guess that was kind of a big interest for me.”

Morstad said her experiences as a Stampede Princess have helped her volleyball game in that it allowed her to better manage her time and focus more clearly on her goals

With practice and training four nights a week, Morstad often finds herself pressed for time for anything outside of sport and school.

“I try to use my breaks to study,” said Morstad. “When you get home at 9:30 p.m. after practice, (studying) is the last thing you feel like doing when you have class at 8 a.m.”

Morstad also runs her own sterling silver jewellery business Twizted Princess (twiztedprincess.com).

“She’s always so positive and hardworking,” said fellow SAIT Trojan, Shelby Hunt. “She’s altogether fun to be around.”

In the small amount of spare time she does manage to squeeze out of her schedule, she finds time for her much-loved quarter horse, Bailey and her eight-year-old English bulldog, Daisy.

“In the future, I hope to be not so busy,” said Morstad. “I hope to carry on with my jewellery business, graduate from SAIT, and continue my career in the petroleum business.”