Andrea Paulsen will get her shot to shine at the U SPORTS level at Brandon University while making history in the process.

"She is the first ever Boissevain recruit to play on our women's volleyball team and we are quite excited about it," said coach Lee Carter. "She is a good athlete and is determined to get better."

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter plays with her finger on the pulse and her potential caught the eye of the Bobcats.

"She competes with a high tempo style," added Carter. "She has a quick arm and because of that she can hit many different shots."

Paulsen's senior season could not have ended much better. She guided her Broncos to the provincial 'A' championship and was picked as a tournament all-star. She was also honoured as a Volleyball Manitoba gradating all-star.

"It was an incredible feeling to win the championship for our small town," said Paulsen. "Moving forward, it means a lot to have that experience and opportunity."

The opportunity to become a Bobcat was a building process. BU men's hockey alum Corey Billaney coached Paulsen in high school and helped her every step of the way.

"He has had a huge influence on my sports career," said Paulsen. "He is kind of like a father figure to be honest. He has motivated me and instilled a lot of confidence in me."

"I am very happy for Andrea as she moves on to BU. She has put in a lot of hard work and deserves the chance to play with the Bobcats," said Billaney. "I cannot remember the last time that we have had a volleyball athlete move on to play at the university level. We take a lot of pride in the Broncos in Boissevain."

Beyond the Broncos, Paulsen polished her game with the Cats Club 18-and-under team. The squad is led by Kevin Neufeld, who will serve as interim bench boss for the Bobcats next season with Carter on sabbatical.

"I think it makes for a good fit in my freshman season because I learned his coaching style and he got to see what I bring to the table as a player," added Paulsen.

The addition of Paulsen pushes BU's recruiting class to a half dozen. She joins Ontario's Caitlin Le, Calgary's Nicole Ashauer, Alexa Shoults of Saskatoon, Dauphin's Sami Love and Maud Rijnsburger of the Netherlands.

The Bobcats' latest newcomer cannot wait to pick up the pace.

"I really wanted to achieve this goal, so I kept pushing myself and never stopped working hard," said Paulsen. "The game is going to be a lot faster, but I am excited to meet that challenge head on."