Coach Larry Green says this weekend will give his younger players a taste of the competition at a high level and will allow his squad to continue rebuilding.
Sidney's Parkland Secondary School is hosting the AAA Island senior girls volleyball championship this weekend (Nov. 16 and 17) in the gym. The local girls opened the tournament Friday against Carihi Secondary of Campbell River, dropping the match 25-12, 25-6.
"It's a tough tournament," said Green. "there are four provincially-ranked team here."
Those teams — Nanaimo District Secondary School, Ballenas Secondary (Parksville), Timberline (Campbell River) and Carihi — will prove to be the strongest competition in the event, Green added.
For his players, most of which are in grades 10 and 11 and are still early in their volleyball careers, it's a big learning curve after a successful season on the south Island region that got them into the event.
"Here, you're not going to get free points," Green said.
His expectation going into the tourney was for his girls to do the best they can and learn something in each game. His plan after the opening loss to Carihi, is to assess the team's performance, fix it, move on and get all of his players on the floor throughout the weekend.
"We are going to get lots of experience here, after we did well to get here."
Parkland continues pool play today (Fri., Nov. 16) and once the seeding is set, will continue on Saturday.
This year's AAA senior girls volleyball Islands includes Parkland (Sidney), Claremont (Saanich), Esquimalt and Frances Kelsey (Mill Bay) from the south and from the north Island: Timberline, Carihi, Mark Isfeld (Courtenay), Ballenas (Parksville), NDSS and Wellington (Nanaimo).