Ask any Island volleyball international where it all began for them, and they will invariably point back to their high schools and warm gyms on cool nights.
It was Claremont for 2016 Rio Olympians Fred Winters and Jamie Broder, Highland in Comox for 2012 London Olympian Martin Reader, and Oak Bay, Spectrum and Timberline, respectively, for national team players such as Josh Howatson, Shanice Marcelle and Sarah Chase.
鈥淭here has been good coaching in the school system,鈥� Oak Bay boys鈥� coach Al Carmichael said.
Having guided his Barbers to four sa国际传媒 titles between 2006 and 2015, Carmichael himself certainly falls into that grouping.
鈥淎 lot of us also coach the kids in the club system as well, and that makes the players better and they bring that back to their school teams,鈥� he said.
Carmichael brings his Oak Bay squad into the Island Triple-A championship tournament ranked No. 3 in sa国际传媒
Host Claremont, meanwhile, is ranked No. 5 in the province and will be looking for a return to its glory days. The Spartans squad coached by veteran mentor Shon Ryan has Grade 11 starters Crash Wergeland, Kaden Brajcich and Ethan Boag complementing Grade 12s Jerry Peng and Reid Smith.
Oak Bay defeated Claremont 25-23, 25-18, 18-16 in the Lower Island final. It was the second time the Barbers had bested the Spartans this season.
鈥淭hey [the Spartans] are bigger than us, and probably better, but we keep finding ways to win with fast play and good defence,鈥� Carmichael said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a good battle again this weekend.鈥�
The Barbers are led by Grade 12 players Zach Monckton, Brandon Thom and Grade 11 Seth Baker. With all-rounder and starting setter Diego Maffia away at a national-team basketball identification camp, the setting position goes to his Grade 10 brother, Lucas Maffia.
鈥淲e do it by committee,鈥� Carmichael said.
Also vying for one of four Island spots into the sa国际传媒 championship tournament, Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at the Langley Events Centre, are the provincial No. 12 Dover Bay Dolphins, No. 18 Royal Bay Ravens and the unranked but dangerous Reynolds Roadrunners.
The other teams qualified are the Belmont Bulldogs, G.P. Vanier Towhees and Nanaimo District Islanders.
The Island championship begins Friday at noon at Claremont and runs through the bronze-medal game Saturday at 3 p.m. and championship final at 4:30 p.m.
Earl Marriott is top ranked in sa国际传媒 and Van Tech is No. 2.
The sa国际传媒 No. 16 Gulf Island Scorpions are set to host the Island Double-A boys鈥� championship Friday and Saturday. The Lambrick Park Lions are in the provincial top-10.
Meanwhile, Mike Toakley鈥檚 two-time defending sa国际传媒 champion Belmont Bulldogs headline the Island girls鈥� Quad-A championship beginning Friday at Dover Bay Secondary in Nanaimo. Taylee Pomponio, Gracie May, Jocelyn Sherman and Aspen Nemeth were part of Belmont鈥檚 2017 provincial champion squad and will provide key veteran stability as the provincially top-ranked Bulldogs continue their quest for the sa国际传媒 three-peat.
鈥淥ur players are excited but know they can鈥檛 take anybody lightly,鈥� said Toakley.
Oak Bay is ranked No. 8 in sa国际传媒 with Reynolds, Claremont and Dover Bay also among the favourites to nab one of the four Island berths into the sa国际传媒 tournament Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 in Penticton.
Reynolds is led by standout Abby Willett, headed next season to play university volleyball at Simon Fraser.
The girls鈥� Island Triple-A championships are being hosted this week at Vic High.
