Hampered by injuries and short of substitutions, the Victoria Volleyball Association 17-under womenB次元官网网址檚 team still turned heads at the provincial club championships in Richmond.
The squad, stocked largely with West Shore players, knocked off teams from volleyball academies that specifically groom players for the collegiate ranks, before running out of steam in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 final. Victoria Black lost 2-0 (25-27, 16-25) to VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Team Academy, the No. 1-ranked side who had lost by the same score to VVA the day before in a preliminary round match.
Despite B次元官网网址渓impingB次元官网网址� into the tournament, in coach Mike ToakleyB次元官网网址檚 words, No. 2-ranked VVA Black mustered heart and grit to post a 3-0 record in a power pool on day 1 against the other three of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 top four rated teams. After defeating the Fraser Valley Blitz 2-1, Victoria swept both Academy and the Thunder club from Vancouver.
They swept VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Seaside Surf 2-0 (25-10, 25-19) in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 quarter-finals and later edged the arch-rival Thunder 2-0 (25-23, 26-24) in the semis. Having to wait around for other matches to finish before playing the final, fatigue started to set in, Toakley said.
B次元官网网址淚t was a long day and the girls were exhausted,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he lack of depth was telling and our momentum ebbed away. It was hard for them to get the energy level back that was necessary to play a team of that caliber.B次元官网网址�
Toakley gave Academy kudos, calling them an B次元官网网址渋ncredibly good teamB次元官网网址� that always brings its A game to the big matches.
Despite their club not being set up like the academies whose elite teams it was playing, VVA Black wasnB次元官网网址檛 short on premium talent. Many members of this yearB次元官网网址檚 4A high school girls B.C. champion Belmont Bulldogs were in the lineup, including provincials MVP and much sought-after future collegiate player Savannah Purdy, fellow front-court stalwarts Hannah and Gracie May and durable setter Taylee Pomponio.
Three members of the team would actually qualify to play in the 16U division, Toakley noted. Other players included Miranda Cyr and Olivia Godek from Belmont B次元官网网址� Sydney Belton was out due to knee surgery B次元官网网址� plus Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 Erin Mutch, Reynolds student Abby Willett and Ashley Marshall from Nanaimo.
A handful of VVA and Belmont players are being courted by university and college programs, Toakley said, with more likely to be identified next season when theyB次元官网网址檙e in Grade 12. At the 17U teamB次元官网网址檚 season-opening tournament in January, a 130-team pre-collegiate tournament in Oregon in January where VVA finished in the top 25, a number of college scouts inquired into the availability of West Shore players, he said.
As for the B.C. club season, Purdy, Hannah May and Mutch were named to a 12-person all-star team. Purdy and Mutch will play for Team B.C. this summer at the National Team Challenge Cup, but ahead of that the VVA Black will contest the national club championships May 5 to 7 in Edmonton.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
