Friesen cracks Junior National Team roster
Swift Current’s Braedon Friesen has made the 16-player roster for Canada’s Junior National Men’s Volleyball Team.
“It was great,” said Friesen. “It was definitely a dream come true. It’s been a goal of mine for a while and for it to come true was awesome.”
After an extensive tryout process in Gatineau, Quebec, the grade 12 product of the Swift Current Comp. Colts and Junior Sundogs Volleyball Club has stuck with the Junior National Team, which will still cut down to 12 players to attend the U21 Continental Championship in Havana, Cuba later this summer.
Friesen, along with 36 other Team Canada hopefuls, arrived in Gatineau on Thursday and tryouts ended on Sunday.
“It’s been a lot of game play stuff and it was six hours of practicing a day. So it was really hard on the body and I am little bit sore now, but it was definitely worth it,” he explained.
Friesen said that it is an accomplishment he could have only dreamed of years ago.
“At the beginning no, but as my volleyball career has taken off it has kind of all came together. Then at the tryouts I noticed I had a shot at making it. I gave it my all and ended up making the team.”
The 18-year-old knows that he still has plenty of work left to do if he hopes to make the travel roster for Cuba.
“Yeah it’s definitely going to be really tough. There are some really good guys here. For me, I just have to become a more consistent passer and just keep grinding away in practices over the next month.”
Friesen, a 6’6” left side hitter, has already committed to the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the 2018-19 season.
“I just really liked the program. It’s been one of the top teams in the country the last number of years. I just really liked the coaches, Terry [Danyluk] and Brock [Davidiuk], they’re really nice and they have a good plan for me in the next few years to improve my game and get me to the next level.”
He hopes to contribute to the Golden Bears on the court as soon as possible.
“I think this training that I will have this summer will definitely be a benefit. I don’t have a starting role secured, but I think if I go in there and have a good training camp at the start I might have a shot to play a decent amount of minutes this season.”