At least five young Terrace volleyball players are hitting up Team BC tryouts down south in the next two weeks, aiming for their shot to play higher level ball.
Selected for the Baden Cup, which is the tryout for Team BC, Tess Lindstrom aiming for the 16U (age 16-and-under) ladies’ team, and Ben Mantel, Jacob Ringma and Logan Clunas are shooting for 16U men’s.
Another Terrace player, Annabelle Brown, is age 13 and too young to play Team BC, but was selected to play in the 14U Baden Cup, which is high performance training to equip players for the future.
The Terrace players were selected for the Baden Cup through a tryout held here at the end of May, except Clunas, who was unable to attend the tryout and sent in an application with video footage to qualify.
The 16U Baden Cup, draws upwards of 70 athletes of each gender to Kelowna to tryout. From there, the top 24 to 32 athletes advance to compete for Team BC in the National Team Challenge Cup at the end of July.
The boys, Mantel, Ringma and Clunas played this year in what was the first boys 15U Northwest Club Volleyball team. The team had a strong season, and clinched an impressive finish, earning bronze in tier one of top division (division one).
“It’s the highest ever finish within our club,” said coach Kam Siemens, noting that Terrace girls teams have made the top division, but never medalled. Siemens acknowledged that there are fewer boys teams than girls in B.C., but she says the level of competition is the same.
Siemens said she’s proud of the boys who earned selection for the Baden Cup.
She believes they have a good shot at Team BC, despite being 15-years-old and trying out against players a year older.
“They are all very skilled players,” she said of Mantel, Ringma and Clunas.
They are well-rounded and have strong attacks, but also bring positive attitude, leadership, and character to the court, she said.
Both Mantel and Ringma play setter and left side, and have experience on older teams. Last year they competed with the senior boys from Centennial Christian School, claiming ‘A’ provincial silver here in Terrace last November.
Mantel spikes with power and wields a secret-weapon as a left-handed player, Siemens said, but he also has strong character and stirs up a positive outlook in the team.
Ringma is much the same, she said, adding that he is well-rounded and a powerful offensive force, and Clunas is skilled, eager to learn, and extremely coach-able.
Tess Lindstrom, trying out for 16U ladies, has played club volleyball for a number of years, and both last year and the year prior, earned a spot on the BC Summer Games team.
This year’s club season was a tough one, however as Lindstrom’s 16U Northwest club team competed at the 17U level and didn’t win much.
But club coach Carmen Didier says Lindstrom is a strong and committed player, devoting extra time outside of practice to advancing her abilities.
It’s exactly what is needed to make post secondary, Didier commented.
Both Lindstrom and Annabelle Brown said they’re excited for the chance to learn from professional coaches and sharpen their skills to a new level.
“I’m really excited to learn from professionals,” said Brown, adding that its great to have the chance to get this high-level coaching.
Brown played in the 14U Baden Cup in Richmond last week, June 30 to July 1, and Lindstrom tries out starting today, July 5 to July 9.
The three boys will take their shot July 6-9.
