National volleyball title hardly a Shock

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/05/2010 (5924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Shock Volleyball Club’s 14-and-under girls team made an investment in its future last season. Now the dividends have started piling up, in the form of provincial and national championship banners.

As a 13-and-under team a year ago, the Shock chose to play primarily against teams a year older. Coach Robert Hailstone entered the team in the 14-and-under nationals, where they finished 11th but gained immeasurable experience.

“We could have played better if we weren’t in awe of the situation,” said Hailstone, who moved to the 14-and-under level with most of the same players this year. “We had the ability to place higher than 11th, but because we were quite a bit younger it had an effect on us mentally.”

This season, the Shock continued to play many of their local tournaments against older competition until the national championship in Saskatoon rolled around. Coming off a confidence-boosting provincial championship performance, the Shock won the national title in a nail-biting three-set affair over the NorCal Spark, coming back from a 10-4 deficit to win the third set 15-13.

“It was a feeling I’ll never forget,” said Carmen Loewen, a 14-year-old middle from North Kildonan. “It was overwhelming.”

Alex Brezinski, a 14-year-old power from Tyndall Park, said the victory felt special because of the team’s third-set heroics.

“It was sheer joy,” she said. “I’ve never been so happy before. Just the feeling to know that we were now the national champions was just amazing.”

Considering the team’s motto — “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail” — it should have come as no surprise that the team was able to overcome a seemingly insurmountable deficit.

“We worked all year on focusing on playing the next point,” Hailstone said. “That way the game takes care of itself. We were down a few times this year in tough situations.”

If history is a guide, volleyball fans will likely be seeing a lot of the Shock players over the next decade. The last group of players the Hailstone shepherded through the club is graduating from high school this year with all but one receiving university volleyball scholarships.

The coach sees no reason why this group will be any different.

“Knowing where we are in relation to that group… there is going to be a lot of strong players from this group,” he said.

Brezinski is eager to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Leah, who played for the University of Winnipeg for four years.

“I would really like to play at the university level,” said the Ecole Stanley Knowles School student. “I would love to play CIS volleyball.”

Loewen, who attends MBCI, believes she has the work ethic (and coach) necessary to play after high school.

“I’m hoping to try really hard to get a scholarship,” she said. “I know it takes a ton of work, and I can’t do it without Rob. He definitely knows what he’s talking about.”

avi.saper@canstarnews.com