Choices, choices, choices 鈥� what鈥檚 a girl to do?
In Savannah Purdy鈥檚 case, it was to select Trinity Western University as her future home.
The Grade 11 Belmont Secondary volleyball star, who doesn鈥檛 turn 17 for another week, has verbally committed to join the Langley-based TWU Spartans after she wraps up her high school and club career.
Highly sought after, the most valuable player from the sa国际传媒 quadruple-A high school championships 鈥� where the Bulldogs won gold in December 鈥� visited several institutions including the Universities of San Diego and Portland, Oregon, south of the border.
North of the 49th parallel it was trips to perennial U Sports powerhouse UBC, Thompson Rivers and Simon Fraser University. There was also interest from others such as Mount Royal and UBC-Okanagan.
鈥淚t was an easy decision, but it also wasn鈥檛. It came down to a few schools and it was a place that I could see myself at, for sure,鈥� Purdy said of Trinity Western. 鈥淚 just really liked the players and the coach, and when I went on the tour it just felt like home and I could see myself there.
鈥淚t just felt like a place where I could see myself improving, not only athletically, but academically as well.鈥�
The six-foot-two outside hitter had plenty of interest, said Mike Toakley, her coach at Belmont and with her club team, Victoria Volleyball Association U-17 Black.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy for her because she seems to be feeling good about the choice,鈥� said Toakley. 鈥淪he had a lot of choices and they were all good ones. I met a lot of good coaches and people representing the various schools and I was pleased with the calibre of all of them.鈥�
She eventually elected the Spartans, who won a U Sports women鈥檚 championship two years previous, claimed silver last season and this year finished third at the university nationals.
鈥淚 spoke to the UBC coach just a couple of days ago at a tournament in Edmonton and he said he was very disappointed not to have won the Savannah sweepstakes,鈥� said Toakley. 鈥淪he was undoubtedly the No. 1 recruit out of this Grade 11 class of volleyball players.鈥�
An honour-roll student at Belmont, Purdy is also a strong beach volleyball player who won a provincial U-16 title along with partner Olivia Godek. The two also finished second in their age group at the Seaside tournament in Oregon, the biggest event in North America.
Toakley, Purdy and the VVA U-17 Black team recently finished in the top eight at the national club championships in Edmonton, after placing second provincially to Academy. The event capped a successful year for Toakley鈥檚 crews, especially after Belmont won the sa国际传媒 high school title 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-22) over Handsworth.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good year,鈥� admitted Purdy, who credited Toakley. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always there for us and he鈥檚 taught us basically everything we know about volleyball. We have so much to thank him for. He鈥檚 an amazing coach.鈥�
And he is proud of Purdy鈥檚 accomplishments and for those yet to come as other Belmont volleyballers are also attracting university attention.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a phenomenal athlete, but more than anything else, she鈥檚 intelligent and she works hard. She really dedicated herself to her craft,鈥� Toakley said of Purdy, who will likely take general studies in her first year before deciding on a major.
