The U13 Air Attack Black girls’ volleyball team capped a terrific season with a bronze medal performance at the U13 Provincial Club Championships in Abbotsford.
The Richmond-based club earned a spot on the podium by rallying for a three-set victory (18-25, 25-16, 15-8) over Abbotsford’s Elevate-Ward to conclude a thrilling weekend. The girls were coming off a gusty semi-final loss to the Ducks Bill and head coach Kristy Alblas wondered how much gas her team had left in the tank after dropping the opening set.
“We gave all our energy into the Ducks match previously. The girls had long and late nights of play and I was afraid we were just tired,” said the former Air Attack and Cambie standout. “The girls turned it around and were able to win the second set quite easily. Once the third set started, the girls knew they were going to win. They put in every effort they had. You could see it in everyone’s eyes.
“As soon as we had won the match, the girls ran onto the court and cheered loudly. Third place! They were so excited.”
The journey to Abbotsford started with twice weekly practices and regular scrimmages a third night with Air Attack’s U13 Gold team — guided by Tanya Kippan.
The Blacks entered five tournaments and enjoyed success each time — finishing first or second in their pools.
It was then off to the Lower Mainland Regional Championships where the girls continued to roll and took home top honours.
“We were coming together and playing as a team which is quite unique for this age level,” continued Alblas. “The week before provincials, we played in another tournament and a few people commented on how well the team was able to move to the ball and communicate with each other. That’s always nice to hear as a coach.”
Air Attack Black headed to Abbotsford with plenty of momentum but dropped a tough three-set decision to BCO Black to open pool play. They rebounded to win the rest of the games and finished second in their group. That set the stage for a key playoff win over Thunder White (25-19, 25-16) to advance to the quarter-finals.
The locals would produce another three set victory — this time rallying to get past the RMVC Royals (13-25, 27-25, 15-10). The comeback thriller earned a semi-final encounter with the Ducks — the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Air Attack put up a terrific battle, losing a pair of close games (22-25, 23-25).
“Usually after a tough match in the semis teams would be upset for the loss. Not this team,” said Alblas. “They were excited and so proud of themselves and for good reason. They played better than I have ever seen them play. The other team was strong, hit hard, and had a fast paced game. Our girls were able to keep up and fight back stronger than we ever have. It was a close match and you can’t be upset for playing the best you ever had. It was just amazing volleyball.”
Following the bronze medal victory, team captain Elizabeth Lee was named Air Attack’s Most Inspirational Player.
It’s very bright future for her and the rest of the team.
“I am so proud of the girls and so happy to see how they were able to not only improve their technical skills throughout the season, but also to learn how to work with each other,” Alblas added. “How to trust one another’s skills, how to support someone when they are down, how to cheer and encourage our success and, especially, how to have fun playing volleyball.
“I look forward to working with the girls in the future. They will be future volleyball stars, I am sure of it!”
The team also includes: Jessica Tang, Aida Rapp, Ashley Maedel, Elvia Ip, Lianna Holz, Sharlene Epistola, Sophia Santa Ana, Isabella Villasenor, Victoria Leung and Alyssa Yam.
