L-R: Battlefords locals Jadyn Bugg and Daley Vany with their silver medals from the 2023 Best of the West Volleyball Championship. (Submitted photo/Jadyn Bugg)

By Martin Martinson

Sask Stealth Volleyball

Battlefords locals take silver medal at Best of the West

Apr 12, 2023 | 4:00 PM

A pair of Battlefords athletes are coming off a silver medal performance with the U15 Sask Stealth, at the 2023 Best of the West Volleyball Championship.

For Jadyn Bugg, a Grade 8 student at John Paul II Collegiate, and Daley Vany, a Grade 9 at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, the podium finish caps a memorable first season with the Stealth. The Best of the West is an annual tournament held in Calgary, featuring just the top teams from each province.

Vany, who played right-side hitter for the tournament, said she joined the Stealth this year with the hope of competing at such events.

“I had a goal of going [to compete] in more than just Saskatchewan tournaments with a team and it was a really exciting experience,” Vany said. “I think for both of us, it kind of opened our eyes to the kind of volleyball that is out there and the level we want to play.”

The U15 Sask Stealth, 2023 Best of the West Silver medal winners. (Submitted photo/Daley Vany)

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Bugg, who played outside hitter, said it was the team’s journey to the finals that really stands out, looking back.

“It was really exciting and especially because we went undefeated all day, and then ended off the day with an all-Sask final,” Bugg said. “We have 16 players on our team and for all our other tournaments we were splitting into two [squads], but for this tournament we went as one team, so we were all excited to see how it would go, and we did really well.”

While this may have been the girls’ first season with the Stealth, it marked their second as teammates, having also played together last year on the same Battlefords Volleyball Club team.. They were also familiar with each other from their time as opponents on their schools’ junior volleyball teams.

In addition to the silver medal, Bugg was also named to the tournament All-Star team, something she said she wasn’t expecting and made the moment all the more special.

“I was surprised and excited when I heard the announcer call my name, [but] I was very honoured to be able to stand amongst the other All-Star players,” Bugg said. “This was very exciting as I was a younger player, so I am very happy to have earned this big achievement, and this has helped me build up more confidence in volleyball.”

The Stealth were one of just two Saskatchewan-based teams out of the 12 total from across Western Canada to compete at the Best of the West in the U15 Division.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1