The Belmont senior girlsB次元官网网址� volleyball team had high expectations heading into the 2016 season. With a young squad made up of Grade 11 students, it was always just a question as to how quickly they could adjust to the senior level.
So far, so good.
The Bulldogs have spiked, served and dug their way to the top AAAA ranking in the province following a pair of tournament victories, while besting North VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Handsworth Royals, the pre-season ranking favourites, on back-to-back weekends.
The B次元官网网址橠ogs are a perfect 12-0 in tournament play, which included a win at the prestigious UBC Invitational last weekend. While theyB次元官网网址檝e been tested by several schools in addition to Handsworth, theyB次元官网网址檝e managed to come out on top in each contest.
At UBC the Bulldogs beat Mount Doug in a close semifinal before winning in a comfortable two sets over Handsworth. That was in stark contrast to the previous weekB次元官网网址檚 matchup with the Royals, which went to three sets and required a big comeback from the Belmont side.
Head coach Mike Toakley says his team showed rapid improvement during the weekend at UBC.
B次元官网网址淭he girls got better and better as the tournament went along,B次元官网网址� he said.
The final started out as a close battle, but the B次元官网网址橠ogs took over in the latter stages of the first set and didnB次元官网网址檛 let up. B次元官网网址淥nce we got momentum, we kind of rolled over them,B次元官网网址� Toakley said.
Part of that rapid improvement, he explained, is the team simply getting comfortable playing at the senior level, especially against a highly-regarded team like Handsworth.
B次元官网网址淗andsworth is the defending provincial champion B次元官网网址� for us to be playing them as a first-year senior high team in our first tournament, that was a big deal. But once we did beat them, I think that helped us mentally to have less nerves going into this final match at UBC.B次元官网网址�
BelmontB次元官网网址檚 work on both ends of the service game remains a strength. The team is versatile enough to be formidable on the attack and when defending, but the chemistry developed between long-time teammates might just be the teamB次元官网网址檚 X-factor.
B次元官网网址淪ome of us have been playing for five years together and weB次元官网网址檙e all really good friends,B次元官网网址� said Savannah Purdy, who at 6B次元官网网址�1B次元官网网址� lines up as a power hitter. B次元官网网址淚f thereB次元官网网址檚 a ball coming in between my libero and I, we know whoB次元官网网址檚 going to get it. WeB次元官网网址檙e really good at communicating on the court.B次元官网网址�
Toakley sees that chemistry showing up as well, likening it to a flock of birds who change directions gracefully as a unit.
B次元官网网址淵our opponent will do something that catches you a bit by surprise and you have to respond as a group B次元官网网址� if anybody responds and theyB次元官网网址檙e out of sync, then youB次元官网网址檝e got a big hole somewhere and the ball always finds the hole,B次元官网网址� he explained.
Toakley had coached many of the girls in club volleyball prior to them graduating to BelmontB次元官网网址檚 senior team and Purdy credits her coach with helping the players continually improve.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 been a great coach. We really like his coaching style because he never stops teaching us new things. I feel like I learn something new every practice,B次元官网网址� she said.
Despite their early success, the Belmont girls arenB次元官网网址檛 looking too far ahead, knowing that the road to even make the provincials is a challenging one with several Vancouver Island teams vying for just one of two spots.
B次元官网网址淚f we can get to the provincials I think weB次元官网网址檒l do well, but we have to get there, which means getting off the Island,B次元官网网址� Toakley said.
The Bulldogs hosted league matches on Tuesday and will do so again two more times this season, including Oct. 18. The Island zone championships are scheduled for the end of November with the provincials to follow in early December.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
