It can take even the most talented teams a few big losses and low-placed tournament finishes to help them understand the importance of coming together as a team.
Such is story of the Victoria Volleyball AssociationB次元官网网址檚 U16 boys who had the pedigree B次元官网网址� with some of the core having already won two club provincial championships before B次元官网网址� but started slow during the club season this year.
The VVA U16 boys club team are born in 2003 and hail from across Greater Victoria, from Langford to Oak Bay.
The team truly came together at the right time, winning all three games in the tiebreaker to survive Day 1 at the recent club provincials in Abbotsford. On Day 2 they carried the momentum into the playoff round and eventually defeated VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Apex Ignite 2-0 to win the gold medal.
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They now have that gold medal in hand as they look back at their lessons learned, before looking forward to a top seeding at the upcoming 2019 Volleyball Canada Nationals in TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Enercare Centre (at the Exhibition grounds), May 12 to 14.
B次元官网网址淚t really is a talented group of boys who were finding their way since the first tournament when they placed 13th [in Langley],B次元官网网址� said coach Jennifer Covelli. B次元官网网址淭hen they won a Victoria tournament, but soon were in the middle of the pack again.B次元官网网址�
Individually, the team is loaded with talent and pedigree, with two players whoB次元官网网址檝e been together since winning the U13 provincial championship. More came on board to win the U14 championship and now have three provincial titles.
B次元官网网址淭hese guys are the best, but they still had to find the leadership needed of them and have gelled the past two weeks,B次元官网网址� Covelli said. B次元官网网址淭hey were working hard to find themselves as a cohesive unit.B次元官网网址�
The coachB次元官网网址檚 own son, Nando Covelli, was the starting setter until he injured his thumb in the first game on Sunday. That meant some shuffling as Cormac Brown stepped up at power and Lucas Maffia (Oak Bay High) was able to shift over to setter, a job he fulfilled seamlessly, the coach said.
All weekend the team adjusted and players did things they donB次元官网网址檛 usually do,B次元官网网址� Covelli said. B次元官网网址淭hey decided B次元官网网址楬ey, we gotta do it now,B次元官网网址� and came together. On Sunday, they played flawlessly. They couldnB次元官网网址檛 have executed the skills as technically and as tactfully any better than they did, they were almost perfect.B次元官网网址�
The 2019 VVA Black U16 team is Desmond Arthurs (St. AndrewB次元官网网址檚), Nando Covelli (Pacific Christian), Cormick Brown (Lambrick Park), Shaun Schonert (Claremont), Aaron Finlay (St. AndrewB次元官网网址檚), Lucas Maffia (Oak Bay), Kai Higuchi (Oak Bay), Andrew Simpson (Pacific Christian), Nate Heagle (Vic High) and Carson Schroeder (Mount Doug).
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