An early season playday at Caledonia Secondary School saw Terrace’s junior volleyball teams rise above the rest.
Both Caledonia’s Grade 10 team and Skeena Middle School’s Grade 9 team proved to be teams to watch this year, with Cal going undefeated and Skeena losing only one game – to Cal.
“The season is early yet but the competition for the Terrace teams may very well be each other!” said Grade 10 coach Adri MacKay.
Caledonia defeated Mount Elizabeth Secondary School from Kitimat in two straight games, as well as Ebenezer from Smithers in two straight games. The girls then took Skeena to three games, winning in the third game before defeating Hazelton in two straight games.
“I would say that both Correina McNeice and Ally Moldenhauer were certainly the leaders for Cal’s team on the weekend with excellent play and positive, competitive attitudes,” said MacKay.
And the younger squad of Grade 9’s, the only Grade 9 team competing as a Jr. Girls’ volleyball team in the northwest, defeated Centennial Christian School of Terrace, Hazelton, and Coast Tsimshian Academy from Lax Kw’alaams.
Skeena coach Frank Marrelli said he’s impressed with how they’re working together.
“I was impressed by our team’s ability to be competitive with our opponents and demonstrate an advantage over many teams,” he said.
“Special recognition for last tournament goes to Delaney Kitchen for demonstrating consistent serving, accurate passing and strong hitting,” said Marrelli.
He chocks up the team’s ability in part to the fact that many of the Skeena players play Terrace Club Volleyball, coached by Mark Neid and Marrelli for this age group. “Commonly, the girls would require a lot of review of basics, rotations, or responsibilities in September, but because of their involvement of club that ran from January to July, the girls were very prepared for this high school season.”
The jr. secondary school teams are usually comprised of Grade 9 and 10 players, meaning “our team has some challenges ahead of them,” he said. “But have proven to be up for the battle. Our strongest competition, so far, is the Grade 10 girls team from Caledonia, which will likely be our main competition all year.”
At the end of the month, both teams travel to Prince George for a Jr. Girls Volleyball Tournament which will a good test for both groups and provide good competition, he said.
And last weekend, the team held a bottle drive fundraiser – the first of a number of fundraisers over the season – to help pay for upcoming travel and competition costs.