Strong showing from Women’s Volleyball at Pacific Challenge Tournament
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
While soccer was the main event this weekend, the Royals had another event going on the side. The women’s volleyball team hosted the first Douglas College Pacific Challenge Tournament. An offseason tournament, it was an opportunity for the Royals, amongst other squads, to see how their rookies lined up against the competition.
In particular, it was an opportunity for the Royals to play against CCAA level competition outside the PACWEST. In addition to the Capilano Blues, the VIU Mariners, and the UFV Cascades, the Royals hosted the Trinity Western University Spartans, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers, the Concordia University Thunder, and the Seneca College Sting.
The Royals would end up playing the Seneca Sting, Concordia Thunder, and the Medicine Hat Rattlers, in that order. The Sting were a good warmup for the Royals, challenging them in various ways, and welcoming the rookies to collegiate level volleyball. Ultimately, it was a 3-0 for the Royals, but it was a close one.
Next up were the Thunder. Like the Sting, the Thunder were a talented squad that challenged the Royals in a different way. While their finishing was a bit off, their defence was strong, particularly their shot blocking. It took some experimenting for the Royals to find an attack that worked for them. But once they did, it was hard to stop them. A 3-0 finish told a different story, but it was a great game from both squads.
The Rattlers were an even better team. They put the Royals in uncomfortable situations, but the team battled back. A 3-1 win highlighted the tournament for the Royals, as they finished a perfect 3-0. But the tournament was about the wins, it was about exposure to high levels of competition. Several Royals rookies had strong performances. Bailey Zulinick, Emily Hoffman, Natalie Demers, and Sarah Watson, all had strong showings, looking to fit perfectly with Jeff Ross’ system. Olivia Cesseretti, who is not a rookie but a second year and also tipped to be the favourite for the starting middle blocker spot according to sources, also looked very good out on the court.
All in all, it’s looking to be an exciting year for the program. If championships are won in the offseason, then seasons are won during the preseason.
