The East Kootenay Volleyball Club U16 boys took home the Division 2 Tier 2 Gold Medal at the Nationals West tournament over the May long weekend after a thrilling performance at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
The EKVC Avalanche boys faced some of the best competition in the country and held their own against the top teams in Division 2.
They came out on top at the end of day one, going undefeated in their pool play. They beat the Winnipeg-based ‘204 Volleyball Club’ Gold team 2-1 (17-25, 25-22, 19-17), the Lethbridge Volleyball Club Shock 2-0 (25-20, 26-24), and the Sherwood Park ‘Park Elite’ team 2-0 (25-17, 25-21).
Day two featured some tougher matches in the power pool round. The boys lost to Manitoba’s Selkirk Royals 2-0 (16-25, 18-25) and fell 2-0 to the Central Alberta Kings Volleyball Club Green team (20-25, 21-25).
The Avs, however, came together during their second match of the day, erasing a seven points deficit against the Brandon Volleyball Club and winning 2-1 (25-14, 23-25, 15-10) in a tightly contested affair.
On the final day, the team defeated the Prince George Youth Volleyball Club Kodiaks Black team 2-0 (25-21, 25-23) and then won a tough semi-final match against the local Hitmen White team 2-0 (26-24, 25-20).
Facing the Lethbridge Volleyball Shock, the Avs had no trouble securing their Gold Medals and beat them in two quick sets (25-18, 25-16).
According to assistant coach Spencer Gustar, “the team faced both mental and physical struggles over the entirety of the weekend, but in the end, they made themselves, their coaches and their parents extremely proud.”