This season served as the first trip to nationals for all-but two of the U15 girls, an experience that should only bode well for each on the team moving forward. (submitted photo/Regan Lavallee)

By Martin Martinson

Bump, set, spike

U15 girls provide strong showing at nationals

May 17, 2019 | 9:00 AM

The Battlefords Volleyball Club (BVC) U15 girls are coming off a recent fourth-place finish at nationals that saw the team battle through some of the country’s top opposition in the process.

Head coach of the U-15 girls, Regan Lavallee, said although the team fell just short of a medal in their quest, the experience gained by the group at large will be invaluable to the growth of their respective games moving forward.

“It’s just such an experience at nationals,” Lavallee said. “I mean it’s very loud, there are a lot of people, [and] we played teams from Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and the girls all stepped it up. I am very proud of them and even without a medal, the whole thing was a huge, huge success.”

Following an excellent regular season that saw the girls finish as the third-ranked team heading into provincials, the team was dealt a bit of adversity. The U15’s lost all but one of their games at the provincial tournament to ultimately come away with a ninth-place finish.

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Rather than dwell on the circumstances, however, the group rallied to truly “leave it all on the court” when the stage was the brightest at the national level.

Situated in Division II at nationals, the BVC pulled out a convincing two wins of their three games played opening day. Seeming to only growing in confidence by the set, the U15’s then followed up their debut performance winning all three of their games on the second day of the tournament. Among the group’s highlights was a victory over the number one team from New Brunswick.

The Battlefords’ success on day two put themselves in prime standing within the Division II ranks heading into the quarter-finals. Winning their quarter-final in the morning, the girls moved on to the semifinals in Div. II Tier 1, facing a big team from Quebec.

Despite falling to Quebec in the contest, because the girls were in Tier 1, they still found themselves in the running for a podium finish making the bronze medal game. Playing an Alberta team, the girls would ultimately fall in three-sets losing the bronze by just two points in the deciding set to finish fourth at nationals.

Despite not coming home with a medal, Lavallee said she hopes the girls hold their heads high and are proud of what they accomplished, showing a will to battle back in the face of adversity.

“Provincials didn’t define them, and it was actually a great life-lesson,” Lavallee said. “When you get knocked down, you get back up; you go out there and try again. The girls just proved that they don’t give up, this team kept fighting to the very last point, and you never saw them getting down.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1