The Nanaimo Christian School Trail Blazers senior girls volleyball team has conquered Vancouver Island and is looking to take provincials too.
The team won the Island volleyball championship Nov. 17-18 in Chemainus, defeating the Lake Cowichan Lakers 25-17 and 25-8 in the final and now sets its sights on the 2017 senior A girls’ B.C. championship Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Fernie.
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Breanne Quist, athletic director and assistant coach, said her team was two points away from making provincials last year, which provided inspiration this year. The Trail Blazers will be vying with 16 other teams for the provincial crown, but Quist says the team can compete.
“We started out the season playing the No. 2 seed out of the province and just barely losing to them … the girls just came out of that thinking, ‘Hey, we just barely lost and they’re ranked No. 2 in the province, just think of what we could do if we played a little bit better.’ It’s going to be tough, we know that it’s going to be tough, but I think it also benefits us not ever playing or seeing those teams because then there’s no chance to get intimidated,” said Quist.
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The team will have a long journey to make and the coach said the team is prepared.
“We’re going to make it a two-day trip out there, just so that we’re not doing 11 hours of driving all in one go … where we’re staying, we have a pool and a hot tub and a kitchen to use in Fernie, so it won’t be like we’re all in our own individual rooms, secluded from the rest of the team,” said Quist.
Quist told her team if they play like they did in Chemainus, there’s no reason they can’t come home with a championship banner. The school is currently constructing a new gym and a banner would nice.
Kassandra Richardson, a Grade 11, who plays power and was named an Island tournament all-star, says the team is an underdog, but it can compete.
“I believe that we are a strong enough team to be competitive enough to finish in the top five … I’m hoping to upset some teams, go in there and win,” said Richardson.
Nanaimo Christian School goes in as the seventh seed.
For more information, go to www.2017girlsvolleyball.weebly.com.
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