16U Ladies Volleyball Club Wins Silver At Nationals
By Robert Thomas
They may not have won the gold medal but winning the silver medal in their tier at nationals but considering the competition they faced it is as good as a gold for a 16U ladies volleyball team.
At Volleyball Canada’s 16U ladies volleyball championships last weekend in Calgary the Thunder Creek Volleyball Club’s entry did incredibly well topping off a great season their head coach Haylee Bevan.
“I truly believe it's impressive that little ole Moose Jaw can be in the top half of the country when it comes to talent!” Bevan said in a release.
Bevan said she was proud of what the team had accomplished during nationals with the team moving into the top 43 percent of Canadian teams in the 16U category.
On the first day of play the team finished second in their pool. On the second day the local squad finished first in their pool.
The pool play pushed the team up into Tier 12. There were 200 teams competing in 26 tiers at nationals.
Back row (Left to Right): Coach Krysta Caplette, Coach Haylee Bevan, Rayleigh Petruic, Waverley Demassi, Callie Klemez, Allie Coulson-Balm, Macy Kuntz, Chantel Howe, Coach Lorne Polupski
Front Row (Back to Russia): Jill Polupski, Jakson McAuley, Haily Molde, Kensington Demassi, Kate Waldenberger - photo submitted
During quarter finals the TCVC Team won against the Manitoba Predators who they had previously lost to in day one pool play.
The team then won their semi final matchup against Nova Scotia.
In the gold medal match they were defeated by Alberta Aces.
Going into the tournament the TCVC squad was ranked at 106th but moved up 16 spots in the rankings ending up ranked in 90th place nationally.
“Us three coaches are so unbelievable proud of these ladies: TCVC with another medal at nationals, continuing to put Moose Jaw on the map,” she said, adding “we’re proud of the way our team did not play scared, we quite literally went out swinging. I wish I could bottle up the feeling competitive sports gives you, the feeling we got when watching these athletes give it their all, and witnessing all the pieces come together for them.”
Bevan said how the team responded during the season is, for the coaching staff, the greatest achievement.
“…watching these ladies play with courage, grace, sportsmanship, love for the game and respect for each other. These are the things that let us know we are succeeding as a coaching staff, as a team, as a club, not the number of wins in a season.”
Players, coaches and family members who made the trip to nationals in Calgary - submitted photo
For team captain Waverly Demassi playing on the TCVC is one of the greatest highlights of her multi-sport career.
“I thought it was awesome to get to play with players from your own school, as well as reconnect with players from different high schools,” Demassi said.
Playing for Thunder Creek she said it helped her playing volleyball with Vanier Collegiate as well.
Thunder Creek stressed learning individual skills she said added to her individual skills.
Although Demassi also plays volleyball as well as basketball at Vanier Collegiate, she said that the coaches at Thunder Creek “are very understanding and support multi sport athletes.”
The coaches conscientiously schedule the teams practises as well as tournaments they play in in such a way to allow players to participate fully in high school athletics.
For Demassi the coaches willingness to work around her high school basketball schedule with Vanier allowed her to play on the Collegiate’s provincial 4A senior girls championship team.
But it goes beyond just playing volleyball.
“ I feel like it’s been so huge of a focus by our coaches on creating strong young ladies and good people through such things as good play and good sportsmanship. They encourage us to try new things and different things.”
Demassi said she would like to come back next year and play on Thunder Creek’s 17U volleyball team, if the opportunity presented itself.
“I would like to thank the coaches and players for an awesome season.”