Volleyball BC announces the selection of 14 athletes for the Team BC 20U Women’s team preparing for competition at the Canada Games. Training will take place in Kelowna prior to the program’s departure for Florida where the team will represent Team BC internationally at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships. The team will continue training in Florida until heading directly to the 2013 Canada Games being held August 2-18 in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Ten players return from previous National Team Challenge Cup programs. Four are also returnees from the NTCC Championship team of 2011. Nicole Cornwall (Coquitlam), Katie Devaney (Port Coquitlam), Kristen Almhjell (Richmond), Alessandra Gentile (N. Vancouver) and Chelsea Tancon (Comox) return from 2012. Setter Emily Oxland (North Vancouver), middle Katie Wuttunee (North Vancouver), outside Brianna Beamish (Surrey) and tournament MVP Krista Hogewoning (Delta) were a part of the 2011 championship program while Alyssa Wolf returns from the 2010 NTCC program that won bronze.
Returning to Team BC for the Canada Games are veterans from year’s past. Kaitlyn Given (Kelowna), Katy Klomps (Surrey) and Veronica Livingston (Kelowna) rejoin the program following successful CIS campaigns. Also included are three PacWest athletes: Morgan Marshall (Smithers), Alyssa Wolf (Burnaby) and Krista Hogewoning (Delta).
“The addition of a few new players to the 2013 program makes us deeper instantly. Each contributes significantly to the scope of experience we’ll possess heading into this year’s training and competition environment.” – Head Coach Chris Dahl.
Dahl notes that the blend of experience built into the program raises expectations for what he anticipates will be an extremely challenging Canada Games tournament.
While attending the USA High Performance Championships the team will have the opportunity to compete against fellow 20U programs from Canada in addition to junior national team programs from the USA, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and Chile.
“We look forward to using the international event in Florida as part of our preparation for the Canada Games. Although our primary goal is performance at the Games, Team BC programing in a Canada Games year provides significant opportunity to continue addressing the high performance development of BC’s athletes and exposure to international play is definitely part of that.”
The Canada Games take place every four years. Preliminary groupings currently have Team BC in a pool with Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Alberta and Ontario. The other pool consists of teams from Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories. Newfoundland & Labrador, and Quebec.
2013 TEAM BC Women’s Volleyball Canada Games Roster
Kristen Almhjell (L, 5-6, Richmond, Guelph)
Brianna Beamish (OH, 5-9, Surrey, UBC Okanagan)
Nicole Cornwall (S, 5-8, Coquitlam, TWU)
Katie Devaney (M, 6-1, Port Coquitlam, TWU)
Alessandra Gentile (OH, 5-9, Port Moody, UBC)
Kaitlynn Given (OH, 6-0, Kelowna, UBC Okanagan)
Krista Hogewoning (OH, 5-9, Delta, UFV)
Katy Klomps (M, 6-2, Surrey, UBC Okanagan)
Veronica Livingston (OH, 6-0, Kelowna, Ryerson)
Morgan Marshall (M, 6-0, Smithers, Camosun)
Emily Oxland (S, 5-9, North Vancouver, UBC Okanagan)
Chelsea Tancon (OH, 6-0, Comox, TWU)
Alyssa Wolf (OH, 5-7, Burnaby, VIU)
Katie Wuttunee (M, 6-3, North Vancouver, UBC Okanagan)