It’s a difficult sport to master, but five Vernon club volleyball players have shown their dedication and commitment to the sport has paid off.
Setters Emma Haner (Seaton Secondary) and Reilly Lorenson (Vernon Secondary), outside attackers Shayla White (Salmon Arm Secondary) and Rebecca VanderDeen (Vernon Christian School) and middle blocker Kennady Wright (Kalamalka Secondary) have been selected to the Thompson-Okanagan U15 B.C. Summer Games squad.
The quintet played together last season as members of the Vernon Pride U15 team, part of the Vernon Volleyball Club.
“These young ladies have shown tremendous dedication and work ethic,” said club coach Troy Lorenson. “They sacrifice a great deal in their personal lives to reach this elite level, putting in hours and hours of training and thousands of contacts with the ball.”
In fact nine players from the Vernon Volleyball Club made the top-24 at tryouts this past June, the strongest representation from any city in the region.
They competed against the top players from Kamloops, Penticton, and Kelowna.
“This is a real testament to the volleyball talent in the Vernon area,” added Lorenson.
Meanwhile, Tanner Lorenson will be representing the zone in beach volleyball at the Nanaimo Games.
Tanner, who is entering Grade 12, is a setter for the Vernon Secondary Panthers, and recently played for an elite U18 Junior Heat club team out of Kelowna.
