Two northwest female volleyball players have just returned from training and competing for Team BC – a month long selection process that proved northwest players have the chops to compete with the best in the country.
“This is huge,” said Terrace Stingers’ 16U coach Carmen Didier, who coaches both players. “Northwest volleyball is coming on strong.”
Terrace’s Cassidy Kitchen was one of just 14 athletes to make the 17U team, which ultimately took second against teams from across Canada at the National Team Challenge Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba July 16-21.
“It was really fun,” said Kitchen. “I learned so, so much.” The team trained in Kamloops for an intense six hours a day in the weeks leading up to the tournament, and Kitchen says she’s returning to the Stingers with a lot to pass on to her fellow players.
And Smithers’ Morgan Monkman was one of 24 players to make the 16U Western Elites, who competed in a championship tournament in Saskatchewan July 19-21 against teams from western Canada. The 24 BC players were split into two equal teams and ended up playing each other in the quarter finals.
“It was super intense,” she said of that game. “Went to the full five sets and the other team ended up winning.”
That team went onto win first place, and Monkman’s team placed the highest that they could after losing in the quarter finals, which was fifth, and the only two teams they lost to were the two teams that ended up in the finals.
“The actual competition was super neat and a really cool experience to get to play against players from all across Western Canada, and just to experience a high level of play,” she said.
“But the part I especially enjoyed was training with the team in Kamloops, that was super fun.”
The team trained four hours a day, and spent the rest of the time together doing goal setting and team building exercises and learning ways to grow as an athlete.
She says the experience only solidified her drive to play volleyball at a higher level when she graduates from high school.
“I’ve always loved volleyball, and I’ve always had it in my mind that it would be cool to play post-secondary or take it somewhere bigger but after this experience now my passion for it is definitely stronger,” said Monkman, who is going into Grade 11. “During the tryout part in Kamloops we had college recruitment sessions, so the coaches and ex-BC team players would talk to us about the process of college recruitment and what sort of things you should be trying to do. So I have a good picture in my mind.”
The experience will open doors for both girls, with the exposure gained by playing at this level – something not always easy when you’re from the more remote areas of B.C.
“When I said I was from Smithers no one knew where that was!” she said of her teammates. “It was funny. Me and Cassidy were definitely representing the north well.”
And for anyone who wants to see them in action, Kitchen and Monkman, along with Stingers’ captain Preet Bath are competing in the Mr. Mikes Riverboat Days volleyball tournament this weekend.