A pair of Okanagan volleyball teams captured medals at the 2022 youth national championships in Edmonton last weekend.
The massive event featured 716 teams playing for national glory, including 80 in the boys 18U division. Winning silver were the Junior Heat, which entered the event as the 15th-ranked team.
And in the boys 16U division, the Barn Owls battled their way to a third-place finish. Both teams were comprised of high school students from Kelowna, B.C.
“Our guys played their best volleyball of the season,” said U18 coach Paul Thiessen, whose team went 7-2 overall.
“This is what can happen when all the stars align in your program.
“To see the determination and tenacity of these young men all throughout the competition was incredible to see, and most satisfying was the pride they displayed and the smiles on their faces.
“I’ve been coaching at these events for over three decades, but never have I seen a better performance or result from an Okanagan team.”
Junior Heat
The Junior Heat began their silver-medal journey with a pair of wins, 2-0 (25-21, 25-21) over Nexus Reach of Ontario, 2-1 (25-27, 25-18, 15-12) over Elite West of Alberta. However, they ended their first day with a 2-0 loss (26-28, 21-25) to the No. 2-ranked Calgary Dinos.
On Day 2, the Junior Heat bounced the Thundercats Legacy of Ontario 2-0 (25-22, 25-22, the Essor Titans Noir of Quebec City 2-1 (26-28, 25-18, 15-11) and the Fredericton Spartans of New Brunswick 2-0 (25-8, 25-17).
Their wins earned the Junior Heat a spot in the top eight, and in quarter-final action, they downed Victoria Chargers 2-1 (21-25, 25-16, 15-12).
In the semifinals, the Heat kept rolling and downed Canada West of Alberta 2-0 (25-21, 25-21), which earned them a berth in the championship game. But in that contest, the Heat couldn’t overcome the Junior Bison of Manitoba, losing 2-0 (25-23, 25-12).
Roster:
- Walker Sodaro
- Sam Jablonski
- Owen Waterhouse
- Nathan Loo
- Aaron Saufferer
- Maxim Storozhuk
- Seba Manuel
- Hudson Farrell
- Gavin Margerison
- Ethen MacEwen
- Jakob Leinemann
- Coaches: Paul Thiessen and Steve Manuel
Notably, Manuel and Sodaro were named to the tournament’s all-star team.
Barn Owls
The team entered the event as the No. 4-ranked squad from B.C., but wound up becoming one of the nation’s top three teams.
In Day 1 action, the Barn Owls dropped their first match, 2-1 (17-25, 25-15, 13-15) to the Kings of Northern Alberta, but bounced back to defeat Thor of Ontario 2-0 (25-19, 25-11) and Nitro of Ontario 2-1 (25-23, 20-25, 15-9).
On Day 2, the Barn Owls opened with a 2-0 win (25-14, 25-13) over Apex Acel of B.C., then followed that up with a 2-0 victory (25-14, 25-17) over JCVC Red of Saskatchewan and a 2-0 decision (25-12, 25-22) over the Dinos of Alberta.
In the playoffs, the Barn Owls defeated Attack Venom of Ontario 2-0 (25-17, 25-22) in the round of 16, then downed CAKVC Black of Alberta 2-1 (24-26, 25-15, 15-8) in the quarter-finals.
In the semis, the Barn Owls’ winning streak came to an end, as they fell 2-0 (16-25, 23-25) to the No. 1-ranked Pakmen Gold of Ontario, who were the eventual 16U champions.
Relegated to the bronze-medal game, the Barn Owls made the most of their opportunity and beat FVU Cascades of Abbotsford 2-1 (25-20, 17-25, 15-12).
Roster:
- Dominic Sodaro
- Liam Wheeler
- Matthew Chayka
- Eric Wheeler
- Chey Ragoonaden
- Kayden Boersma
- Connor Collinson
- Nash Semeniuk
- Jack Waterhouse
- Lincoln Wagner
- Eddie Kallo
- Jayden Fierbach
- Coaches: Mike Sodaro and Norm Hanson
Of note, Dominic Sodaro was named a national all-star.
“I’m so proud of these boys for their effort and dedication to the club and team all year,” said coach Mike Sodaro.
“They fought hard for the team, and when it was time to come together and fight, they surprised us all. This capped off an amazing season with this amazing group of boys.”
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