WESTLOCK – The Westlock Volleyball Club (WVC) 14U Boys have been crowned the best Tier 2 team in Alberta.
At the 10-team Volleyball Alberta 14U Tier 2 Provincial Championships April 29-30 in Calgary, the boys capped their impressive season with a two-set triumph over Strathmore in the final, a club they had lost to 25-27, 22-25 during the round robin.
First-year head coach Ryan Siemens said it’s been a long run as practices began back in mid-December followed by their tournament season which started in February and included events in Westlock, along with three “premier” tourneys in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. While the provincial title qualified them for nationals in Winnipeg this spring, Siemens said, “ … we just couldn’t swing it as the kids are playing a lot of other sports.” While the club is primarily composed of Westlock-area boys, they did have three from Athabasca, Waskatenau and Neerlandia.
“They really improved over the year and I’m really proud of how they came together and their mental side of the game,” said Siemens May 1. “It’s tough being a teenager in general, but to be able to handle the ups and downs of volleyball and to be able to battle through lots of those games, I was really proud of them and it was special to see. It was a fun experience.”
At provincials the boys, who are ages 12-14 and are in Grades 7-9, finished second in their pool with a 3-1 match record and posted victories over Park Elite Blue, 25-21, 25-14, the Nooks, 24-26, 25-22, 16-14 and Dome Defenders White, 25-22, 25-21. From there the club went on to down the Rhinos in the quarterfinal, then dropped the Dome Defenders White in the semis.
Looking forward to next season, Siemens said he’s pretty sure his son Zach will be moving up to the next age bracket and he’s willing to help out with that club however he can.
“If there’s a need for a coach, I’ll sign up,” he added.
