The Lake City Falcons junior and Grade 8 girls volleyball team is enjoying a well-deserved sports holiday in Hawaii this fall break after what coach Tim Hurley said was a season of highlights.
Both the Grade 8 and junior girls squads won their respective district championships last month, earning a spot at zones, however, passed that up in favour of the Hawaii voyage.
Hurley said right from the start of the season early this fall, commitment from players at the school was apparent.
“We had two Grade 8 teams, and one was all Grade 7s,” Hurley said. “We were hoping for a few more games, but our interest was crazy. We had more than 30 Grade 7s, and 40 to 50 girls total, coming out to practice, and these girls have stuck with me and built up a real, strong nucleus. They’re hungry for more games, and we’ve got a lot of talent here. They’re very dedicated.”
Falcons’ junior girls captain Grade 10 Gurleen Galsian, who has been playing volleyball for the past seven years, said she enjoyed the fun, being a part of a team and the competitiveness.
She led the team, prior to districts, to a 16-team tournament held at Duchess Park Oct. 18-19 where the team placed sixth — a result they were all proud of, she said.
“It was great, and amazing how all the girls came together and played their hearts out,” Galsian said. “We played right until the end. No one ever gave up.”
At the district championships, squaring off against the Peter Skene Ogden Eagles, the Falcons won two straight sets to win the title in scores of 25-13 and 25-21.
“I’ve just seen so much improvement from last season,” Galsian said.
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Galsian was also awarded the team MVP at the tournament in Prince George.
On the Grade 8 side at the tournament, the Falcons headed over to Kelly Road secondary for their respective tournament.
Sienna McCarvill, 13, said it was a great learning experience.
“We played really well, we worked well together as a team against a lot of established teams,” McCarvill said. “We just started playing together.”
McCarvill said the highlight of the season for her was playing in front of the school at the Columneetza Campus against Peter Skene Ogden.
“We had so much support from the school,” she said. “It was nerve racking at first, but really great.”
Hurley, meanwhile, said the most rewarding part of the season, for him, was to see the girls grow as a team and as players.
“Their passion for the game is incredible,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot to look forward to with this program.”
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