Volleyball skills showcased
Niagara College shines spotlight on girls high school volleyball with all-star game
Girls high school volleyball wrapped up two weeks ago with Ontario championships, but the sport, and the standouts who play it locally, returned to the spotlight this week.
Tuesday night’s third annual Niagara Region Girls Volleyball Showcase featured 20 players from 13 high schools competing in an allstar game at Niagara College’s Athletic Centre in Welland.
Teammates on their high school squads during the regular season faced each as players were split into two teams for the exhibition game hosted by the women’s volleyball team at region’s community college.
Teams were coached by members of the provincial bronze medallist Niagara Knights. Youth was served with the all-stars led by AllCanadian Jordan Kozlowski and rookie Sahara Aburaneh blanking a squad coached by graduating veterans Linnea Davis and Sami Bailey four sets to none.
“This is a fantastic event that I am proud to be a part of,” said Nathan Janzen, who led Niagara a third-place finish at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championships in his first year as the team’s head coach.
Ever the recruiter, Janzen couldn’t help but watch the action on the court with an eye toward filling future holes in the Knights lineup.
He was impressed with what he witnessed in a showcase that endeavours to bring volleyball out of the shadows of high school basketball.
“The talent level that exists across Niagara is tremendous, and tonight is designed to serve as a notice to the rest of the region’s sports community of the high level of competition that we are fortunate enough to have.”
Sadie Dick, a Grade 10 student at Governor Simcoe Secondary School in St. Catharines, and Maggie Tschakovsky, a 10th-grader at Grimsby Secondary School, were selected as players of the team for Team Jordan-Sahara and Team Linnea-Davis, respectively. Dick finished with a match-high eight kills while Tschakovsky registered seven kills and one service ace in her team’s loss.
Dick and Tschakovsky are both part of the Niagara Rapids organizations at the club level.
Though Dick has been playing volleyball for just four years, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter is already hoping to earn a post-secondary scholarship and of one day making the Canadian senior women’s national program.
“Today was a fun night,” the Simcoe student said. “This event shows the community environment that volleyball has in Niagara and tonight was great.
“It was an awesome experience to compete with players that are normally your opponents.”
Jean Vanier’s Natasha Desjardins, a Welland native, was competing in her second showcase. The 5-foot-9 Mountain Volleyball Club player was competing in the Niagara College athletic centre for the first time since signing a letter of intent to compete for the Knights beginning in September.
“I was so nervous competing in this gym, knowing that I will be playing here next year,” she said. “I really love the showcase game, and I’m excited to join Niagara beginning next year.”
Desjardins finished the game with four kills and a match higheight service aces, while Team Jordan-Sahara teammates Tamara Edwards, Eden, four kills, seven service aces; Nicole Pirillo, Thorold, three kills, seven aces; Kaelen Emslie, Laura Secord, three kills; and Hayley Nicholas, E.L. Crossley, three kills; rounded out the scoring.
Contributing on offence for Team Linnea-Sami were Grace Pyatt, Thorold, five kills, Trinity Lougheed, Secord; three kills, three aces; Caitlyn Hamm, Ridgeway-Crystal Beach, four kills; and Edona Demiri, Denis Morris, three kills.
Niagara College also hosts a boys high school volleyball showcase, as well as all-star games for boys and girls high basketball and boys and girls high school soccer.