The Alberni Airborne Volleyball Club has lifted off and started their competitive season.
The club has three teams this year: 12U, 13U and 14U. The 14U team is coached by Lindsay Devine and Jay Dyer.
The team shook the off-season rust off by competing in their first first games on Feb. 7 in Parksville. The girls played amazing and are off to an excellent start.
The Airborne split their team into two teams as Parksville had two teams. The Airborne girls showed us that they really understood where to be both on offense and defense. The Airborne split the games with Parksville winning three sets and losing three sets.
The scores for Airborne Team One: 25-17, 25-18, 14-25. The scores for Airborne Team Two: 25-15, 22-25, 11-25.
The team showed leadership and an improved game from last season. Airborne players Aimee Gaudet, Haley Lupichuk, Laurel Davidson and Aimee Beaulac showed outstanding leadership.
Kaitlyn Roberts served 12 serves in a row to win her first set. Maryna MacDonald had an outstanding block to score a point for her team and Julie Korver hustled hard, Devine said.
The tournament was competitive, but off the floor players from both teams socialized and enjoyed each others company. Parksville was so welcoming that they even shared oranges and cupcakes with Airborne players at the end.
The Airborne have two goals that they strive to meet in every game: movement and communication. “The girls showed us both of these things on Friday. Jay and I were impressed,” Devine said.
The team has a busy schedule ahead of it.
They are competing with eighteen other teams in the Super Spike Tournament on Feb. 22-23 in Nanaimo.
The Airborne are also hosting a play day at the Athletic Hall on March 2.
They are competing in a play day in Campbell River on April 5 before heading back to Nanaimo for the Island’s on April 12-13.
The team has its sights set on the provincial’s in Abbotsford on April 25-27, and then to the nationals for the first time, again in Abbotsford, on May 8-11.
“Normally, the nationals are too far away and with the 14U Nationals being in Abbotsford this year we really wanted to attend,” Devine said.
LINDSAY DEVINE/ Special to the News
