Several local volleyball players stayed hard at work this summer as members of Team BC.
In late spring, tryouts were held nationwide to create elite provincial teams, and in mid-July those teams competed in the Canada Cup – an age-group National Championship held in Niagara, Ont. According to Volleyball Canada, “Canada Cup is a critical piece of the talent development process in Canada with more than 300 athletes covering a four-year age span in the high-performance pathway.”
Vernon’s Sky Volleyball Club and Beyond Sport Academy were well represented, having athletes selected for almost every age category.
The U16 and U18 players trained with their new teams for several weeks at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops before heading off to the championship tournament.
U18 power hitter Oliver Profili said, “Having the chance to be immersed in an environment like that was an exciting and rewarding experience.” Profili played right and left side for Team BC, which ended up with a 4-2 record at the Canada Cup. Devyn Sales-Parno was selected as an alternate, and trained with the team while in Kamloops.
U16s Kaydence Kitzul (setter) and Lacey Saville (middle) both saw lots of court time for Team BC, finishing with a 4-3 record. Devyn Hildebrand (U16) and Quinn Mctavish (U18) were both selected as alternates.
The U15 age division created regional elite teams, before competing in the BC Cup (held at the same time as the Canada Cup). Local standouts Amelia Spitzer, Gracie Roest, and Lena Hoard (U15 Girls) and Cash Riemersma (U15 Boys) represented the Okanagan Teams, finishing sixth and second respectively.
“We are seeing the schools, academy and club working together to create a lot of positive results on the court,” said Troy Lorenson, Sky coach and director of the Beyond Sport Volleyball Academy. “Our athletes and teams are competing at the highest level in B.C., and for the size of our community this is very unique.”
Other local volleyball standouts Jon Fraser-Monroe (U19) and Aleya Hansen (U15), competed in the North America Indigenous Games for Team BC in Halifax.
“Volleyball talent continues to grow in our community,” stated Sky Board member Fane Triggs. “We are so proud of these athletes and enjoy watching their hard work pay off. But even more importantly, these kids just love to play. And we as coaches can’t ask more than that.”
Sky Nation, currently with 450 athletes, runs volleyball club, clinics and camps for kids in Grades 5-12. For more information on Sky Volleyball Club, visit skyvolleyballclub.ca.
READ MORE: PHOTOS: North Okanagan athletes add to zone medal haul BC 55+ Games
READ MORE: Vernon taekwondo athlete Finland bound for World Championships
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
