B.C. sent two girls volleyball teams to this year’s U-16 Western Elite Volleyball Championships in Edmonton July 18-20.
The Western Elite team selection process started three weeks earlier at the Baden Cup tournament in Kamloops, where a field of 72 female athletes was reduced down to the top 24 girls, forming the two teams to represent B.C. at the Western Elites.
Campbell River setter, Tommie Corder (#14) was one of only two athletes from Vancouver Island selected to this year’s Elite Team B.C.
After two intense weeks of training in Kamloops under head coach Chris Dahl (also the head coach for the Camosun Chargers), the two teams took to the courts at the University of Alberta’s Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton for the three-day Western Elite tournament.
B.C.’s teams were expected to do well this year with Corder’s Team B.C. Red ranked number one coming in this year, and they didn’t disappoint.
Both had a great weekend, with both teams fighting for a medal and one of them coming away with a gold.
Corder and her team swept both of their round robin matches against Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and followed up with a win against Saskatchewan’s second squad in the first round of playoffs to seed into the semi-finals.
The semis had the team facing one of the local Alberta teams in front of the Alberta hometown crowd, where B.C. swept the match in three straight sets.
B.C. then faced the second Alberta team in a hard fought Gold medal match.
After B.C. opened to a 2-0 set lead, Alberta fought back to win game three.
But Corder’s Team B.C. fought them off in game four to go undefeated 5-0 for the weekend and take the Gold Medal.
B.C.’s second team also swept its pool play matches, and then defeated Saskatchewan to hit the semi-final round.
However they were not able to get past the two strong Alberta teams in the semis and the bronze medal matches, placing fourth in the tournament overall.
“It has been an amazing experience to play with some of B.C.’s best players and coaches these past few weeks,” Corder said. “The support from my family, and local coaches and teammates has been awesome, and really helped me to be at the top of my game.”
Corder is excited to join Team BC alumni player, Sarah Chase, on the Timberline Wolves senior girls’ team this school year.