Richmond Air Attack U14 Black team capped a remarkable campaign of progress with a fourth place finish at last weekend’s B.C. Club Volleyball Championships at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford.
The girls opened the season by not winning a single match at a tournament in Langley. From there, they were simply determined to get better. Two intense practices each week and a few tournaments later transformed Air Attack Black into a contender.
“One week it clicked. Everything came together,” said coach Kristy Alblas. “It was so amazing to see how far these girls have come. At Regionals, our team came out and blew me away. They looked like a real team. Not only did I notice and our scores showed it, but coaches and other parents were coming up to me commenting on how much our team has improved. This was the best compliment we could have gotten. It is so nice to see that all their hard work paid off.”
The momentum continued in Abbotsford where the Air Attack opened with a tough three set victory over Action. Two more pool play wins followed, locking up first place in their group and guaranteeing the girls a top eight finish.
The march continued with a a straight set (25-19, 25-23) quarter-final win over the Mariners, setting the stage for a final four date with Focus Elite. A 2-0 defeat moved Richmond into the bronze medal match against Sky Blue. This proved a heartbreaker, losing one set by a 28-26 margin and just missing out on a podium finish.
Carmen Marshall was awarded the most inspirational player award. It was a hard choice on a diverse team full of leaders, motivators and those willing to help out their new teammates and friends.
The roster also features: Jaimie Muller, Myra Wu, Carolyn Chiu, Jacqueline Gabaldon, Tess Blake, Sabrina Chang, Jennifer Lum, Maggie Pope,, Emie Okamoto, Tamara Boucher and Maia Badyal. Assistant Cassie Lauang rounded out the coaching staff.
“This was one of the best teams I have seen,” added Alblas. “If you look at each girl on the court, you can see that each is talented, but where our team shines is in our team work. Our girls communicated and moved as one. Without each girl on our team, we wouldn't have been able to achieve what we did this last weekend. At the end, it is not about our results, but how far we have come.
“Seeing such raw talent from this U14 team has made me hopeful for the future of our volleyball teams in Air Attack!”
