Something to prove
Under-18 women’s team set to hit the court at nationals
The Canada Games Under-18 women’s volleyball team is gearing up to prove themselves in Edmonton as they compete at Nationals there in May.
Don’t be deceived by this group of giggling girls, they pack a punch.
Prince Edward Island’s under-18 women’s volleyball team is gearing up to prove themselves at Nationals in May in Edmonton before competing at the Canada Games in Winnipeg in August.
The close-knit team practises twice a week, once at Kinkora Regional High School and once at Bluefield High School.
“We’re like a weird family, kind of like the Brady Bunch,” said middle Sarah Murphy. The ultimate goal at the end of the day is to have a good time together, said Jillian Ferguson of Kensington.
While it’s all fun and games, at the end of the day they’ve worked hard to get to where they are.
Abby Malayny of Summerside believes the training will pay off.
“We work hard, train hard, we’ll do our best.”
That’s all a coach can ask for.
Kate and Darren Dawson have been working hard with the girls and are excited to see them come together as a team, and family.
“They have so much potential,” said Kate.
Darren sees the competition approaching and knows who to keep an eye on. The head coach is constantly working on strategies and plays to improve his squad.
The team has never finished better than ninth place and hopes this year to break the trend.
While the championships are coming up fast, the Dawsons see past those tournaments and focus on their players’ futures.
“Our end game isn’t Canada Games. We want to see at least five out of our 12 girls play in post-secondary,” said Kate. Callie MacDonald of Summerside is the first on their current team to commit for the fall season. She will be playing for Mount Allison University, in Sackville, N.B. The Island squad leaves for nationals on May 4 and will be back on May 8.