McRoberts Strikers capped a tremendous season by proving they are among the top juvenile girls volleyball teams in B.C.
The Strikers concluded a hectic 72-hour stretch with an impressive fifth place finish at the Grade 9 Provincial Championships on the weekend.
The highlighted result was a thrilling three-set victory over No. 6 Pinetree that vaulted them into the quarter-finals. They gave it their all against Mt. Boucherie but bowed out to the powerful team from Kelowna.
The outstanding work of setter Tamara Dee earned her tournament all-star honours.
The provincials came a day after McRoberts finished second at the Vancouver and District Championships. They rallied for a come-from-behind win over Handsworth before falling to St. Thomas Aquinas in the title match.
The Strikers earned the opportunity to host the tournament thanks to winning the Richmond championship a week earlier. A dominant run, that also included a 7-0 record in league play, was capped by a much-anticipated final against rival McMath and a 3-1 victory. It was a reverse of last year’s result when the teams competed at the Bantam level.
Another highlight of the campaign was winning tournaments at Burnaby and McMath on the same weekend with team captain Catherine Yuen earning MVP honours in both of them.
“Iwas very proud of how the girls improved and how they played as a team. said Strikers head coach Raymond Juco. “I’m looking forward to an even better season next year!”
The Strikers roster also features: Jade Juco, Kezia Kawamura, Yutaka Kojima, Rayya Kumar, Kristy Kwok, Ashley Mori, Angie Sun, Jessica Tang, Amelia Vegt and Xuan Wang.
The coaching staff is rounded out by assistants Kate Dee and Willy Billedo.
