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The Battlefords Volleyball Club (BVC) U16 women’s team, pictured at their first Sask Cup of the season, over the weekend. (Submitted photo/Kim Voegeli)
BVC Back in Action

Battlefords Volleyball Club enjoying strong start to season

Feb 3, 2022 | 3:17 PM

The club volleyball season is underway in the Battlefords, and the local teams have wasted no time making the most of their return to action this year.

U16 Women’s Team

The U16 women’s BVC team is coming off their first Sask. Cup tournament last weekend in Saskatoon, where they placed third in their tier.

Head coach of the U16s, Kim Voegeli said it was great to see the way the team was able to come together quickly, so early in the year.

“I told the girls at the start of the tournament, always expect to get better, and that’s exactly what we did,” Voegeli said. “We opened the tournament 1-1, but then finished with a win and they played like fire; their attitudes were positive and it was an overall really great success as the first Sask. Cup of the season goes.”

Coming off a season restricted to just practicing last year due to the pandemic, Voegeli said the group is happy to be able to return to game-action this year and compete at a high level once again.

“It just feels good to be able to be back in the buildings again playing, because it’s been a couple of years now since we’ve been able to hear whistles blow and the fans cheering from the stands,” she said. “It’s really been our focus to be grateful we’re able to be here, and play our best and continue to grow and get better.”

The U16 team will return to play this weekend in Martensville, for a one-day tournament Saturday. Their next Sask. Cup will be early next month, March 5-6 in Saskatoon.

U17 Women’s Team

The U17 women’s team will play their first Sask. Cup of the schedule next weekend, Feb. 12-13 in Warman, returning to the community where they took home a second-place finish in their opening tournament of the year, just a couple of weeks ago.

The Battlefords Volleyball Club U17 team pictured here. The team wore Medstead jerseys for their opening tournament. (Submitted photo/Heather Berezowski)

Assistant coach with the U17 women’s team, Heather Berezowski said perhaps most impressive about the team’s start has been the way they’ve handled adversity with two players sidelined due to injury heading into their first games back this year.

“Our first tournament was a bit nerve-wracking, because we hadn’t played in almost two years so we weren’t sure what it was going to look like, but they did really well,” Berezowski said. “We started off strong despite multiple injuries and having only one middle, so we had to re-train some players at the last minute, so we were super proud of the girls and what they were able to do at that tournament.”

Berezowski credits the team’s ability to read the game and be patient as key factors in their early success, and something that should only continue to pay dividends this weekend and moving forward.

“Their mental game as a group this year is really strong,” she said. “They’re able to focus on playing our style of game, slow things down and not get sucked into scrambling or rushing out there. They’re very strategic and see the court really well, which I would say that’s probably our biggest strength.”

The U17s will open their Sask. Cup tournament next weekend Sat., Feb. 12 against Macklin.

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1