The Sub Zero U14 boys volleyball team brought home bronze after a rousing performance at the B.C. Provincial Volleyball Championships on the Lower Mainland.

The team won all three of their pool games, which gave them a bye into the semifinal.

They dropped the evening game 1-2 (25-14, 17-25, 12-15) and were relegated to the bronze-medal game.

The team refocused to win the bronze-medal game 2-0 (25-20, 25-22).

“We won pretty handily,” said assistant coach D’Arcy Hill.

The U14 boys are part of the crop being groomed for the 2021 Canada Summer Games and Hill said the process is going well.

During the tournament, Hill said that the boys knew their positions and executed their roles well.

The chemistry between the setters and the hitters also grew stronger with each game.

“Our offence really clicked,” said Hill.

The team’s setter, Cole Cowan, “did a great job running the offence,” said Hill.

Other standouts included Quinn Howard, Barrett Fitzsimmons and Sam Wanless.

Duncan Snooks was named the team’s Most Inspirational Player, not only for his performance at the tournament, but throughout the season as well.

The team is also coached by Mattaeus Giesler and he and Hill have been working to build a volleyball foundation for the boys to build upon in the coming years, with the goal of having a “dynamic” team at the 2021 Canada Summer Games.

With the team ending the season on a high note, Hill said they are looking forward to next year as a U15 team.

“The coaches really appreciate the effort they gave all year,” said Hill. “We see a really bright future for these kids.”

U14 Girls see service pay off

The U14 girls team, coached by Justine MacKay and Heather Julsrud gained experience at the provincial champs and stunned their opponents with their serves.

Julsrud estimates that at least 15 points in each set they played were earned on unreturned serves.

The U14 Sub Zero girls team all chose to serve overhand, while their opponents largely served underhand.

It was a skill they practised often at home.

As U14s, this is the first year they are allowed to serve all the time in games, previously in the younger age group, they played triple ball, where they serve once and then offer two free balls, then switch which team is ‘serving’.

“It was something we practised all the time and it showed,” said Julsrud.

The girls won all of their pool games. They qualified for Tier 1 and ended the playoffs with a 2-2 record, good enough for sixth.

“All the kids played well and they had fun,” said Julsrud.

Their moxie really showed in their final pool game.

The team is divided into two mini teams, which take turns playing on the court as Julsrud said fair play is really important at this level and the coaches strive to give each athlete equal playing time.

The squads are centred around the setters and Alexa Jenning’s crew was up first.

“They came out really strong, but you could tell they were tired,” said Julsrud.

The team pulled through and their second squad took the court for the second set.

Centred around Olivia Blisner, the team fell flat. They lost the set 25-10, which Julsrud said might have been their worst set of the tournament.

“It was more mental,” said Julsrud of the collapse. “We missed a ton of serves.”

The bench was “dead silent” and in between the second and third set, the team regrouped.

“You guys need to fire it up,” the coaches told them.

For the third set, Jenning’s team was on court and they performed. Within three serves, they won the set and the game.

“When you’re focused and you get your serves, that’s the game, bam,” said Julsrud.

In the 15 minute drive to the hotel that night, her entire team had passed out in the van.

“I think this was a really good experience for the girls,” said Julsrud.