The Vancouver Island boys’ volleyball team at the BC Summer Games will have Comox Valley representation this summer.
Carson East and Henry Holland, Ecole Mark R. Isfeld Secondary students, have been selected to the Team BC Zone Program as part of Zone 6.
The pair attended 15U try-outs in Victoria at Oak Bay High School on June 6, where they stood out on the court. Carson and Henry, standing at 6’5” and 6’3” respectively, were dubbed the “twin towers” by one spectator and used their height to great advantage both offensively and defensively at the net aiding in their being selected to the program.
This program provides a holistic athlete development experience, where athletes learn and grow in a competitive team training environment with some of the top athletes within each athlete’s region. Following a five-week practice program the boys will then represent their home zone at the BC Summer Games in Prince George, July 21-24.
This selection is just one more achievement in each of the boy’s seasons. Both played for the Isfeld junior boys’ volleyball team that finished first at both the north North Island zone playoff and the North Island regional tournament. They were also starters on the Comox Valley Strikers U16 team that finished fourth at the Tier 2 club provincials.
“Henry and Carson being named to the Island BC Summer Games team speaks very well of their hard work and dedication as well as their coaches these past years at Mark Isfeld,” said Ecole Mark R. Isfeld Principal Brian Mcaskill. “We look forward to watching Henry and Carson represent our school and the Island at the provincial level this summer. As a former Team BC coach, I know this is a major accomplishment for both of them.”
Further accolades came from Isfeld’s junior boys volleyball coach, Esther Bayles.
“I am so proud of Henry and Carson for making the BC Summer Games U15 volleyball team,” said Bayles. “They are both talented, hard-working players but also really enjoyable people to coach and travel with. This is Henry’s first year of competitive volleyball and he just won the Most Improved Player award for Isfeld Athetics for his incredible achievement this year alone. It is an amazing comeback for Carson who stayed positive and overcame a school season ending injury. They are both inspirational and a coach’s dream.”