Four Under-16 boys volleyball teams were in action Sunday at Lake Trail Community School in the opening tournament of the 2023 club season. The Comox Valley Wave by Strikers High Performance team hosted two sides from Nanaimo and one from Victoria.
Their first game was against the always strong Nanaimo Mariners High Performance team. In their first time together, the Wave lost 21-25. But the team regrouped to win the second set 25-18, and the match with points for/against.
The Wave then beat the Nanaimo Mariners Club team 25-15, 25-11.
Then came the historically strong Victoria High Performance team. In a back-and-forth set that reached 23-23, the boys missed a crucial serve to give Victoria a 24-23 lead. After a great rally, Victoria powered a left side attack around the Wave’s block to secure a 25-23 win. The second set was deadlocked at 24-24. Victoria was able to tip one into an open spot, and then a Comox Valley attack went out to give Victoria a 26-24 win.
Comox Valley and Victoria met again in the gold medal game. The Wave came out strong to build an 8-1 lead, but after six straight errors the lead was cut to 8-7. The team regrouped to win the first set 25-19. The second set was knotted at nine when unforced errors found the Wave behind 12-20. The team clawed back to 22-24 late in the set, but lost 22-25 to force a third and deciding set. The home side took a 5-1 lead thanks to great serving by rookie Maddex Shipman. But three Wave errors and strong blocks by their opponents put Victoria up 6-5. The Wave couldn’t regain those points and Victoria pulled away to win 15-11.
“Overall I am very impressed with the team,” Wave coach Steve Woolner said. “We just need to put everything together now and apply that on the court. The team has a long way to go but with hard work at practice, extra fitness training, and a good routine with sleep and nutrition, there will be constant improvements.”
Tournament leaders for the Wave were Carson East with 14 kills, three aces and nine blocks; Henry Holland with 11 kills, 13 aces and three blocks; Caleb Gallagher with 14 kills, five aces and three blocks; and Kiefer Stushnoff with 14 kills and seven aces.
The Nanaimo Mariners HP beat the Mariners Club team for the bronze in straight sets.
The Wave’s next tournament is Sunday, Feb. 12 in Nanaimo against the same teams.