Five high school students are national champions after winning the gold medal in division two at the U-17 Volleyball Canada National Championships.
More than 80 teams from across the country took part in the event at the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton May 6 to 8.
The five female players from Innisfail High School belong to Red Deer's Central Alberta Queens Volleyball Club, which participated in the Edmonton national tournament. The Innisfail school's vice-principal and athletic director Jeff Anderson was the team's coach.
Team members from the local high school included Aly Blain, Jordyn Shewchuk, Alicia Janssen, Mikayla Janssen and Kendall Janssen.
“It's a private club that provides that extra opportunity for athletes who are very interested in volleyball and are looking to pursue (the sport) at the post-secondary level after high school,” said Anderson, noting the volleyball team competes at both the provincial and national levels.
The provincial championships were held at the end of April, where the team qualified for nationals in May.
“The higher you qualify the stronger the teams you play against,” said Anderson. “We came in the top 10 at provincials (this year) and for nationals, the top six teams went to division one and we went to division two, being under that sixth place,” he added. “We competed with other teams from across the country in the same division.”
There was a total of three divisions with 28 teams in each division, he noted, adding that tier one was their ultimate goal.
“We just missed out on our crossover game and we lost a really close match,” said Anderson. “I knew the girls had the ability and potential to do it and they worked hard as a team.
“We played a Manitoba team in the final,” he said.
The national tournament in Edmonton wrapped up their volleyball season that ran from January to May, said Anderson, noting that it was the first time this team had won gold.
“They're dedicated athletes in volleyball and they want to definitely pursue it to the next level,” said Anderson. “It was a great opportunity for all.”
Jeff Anderson
"They're dedicated athletes in volleyball and they want to definitely pursue it to the next level. It was a great opportunity for all."
