Ranked 17th out of 17 teams at the Vancouver Island Super Series boys club volleyball tournament in Nanaimo, the Prince George Kodiaks showed they are no bottom-feeders.
The Kodiaks started with a match win over the No. 2 -ranked 604 and went on to claim the tournament title in a three-set triumph over Pacific Coast Volleyball Club of Vancouver.
“They ranked us last and our club president was arguing about that with Volleyball BC, because we finished ninth in provincials last year, but we were OK,” said Kodiaks coach Cam Young. “If anybody should be mad, it was the team we were playing first. They were the No. 2-ranked team in the province and we beat them two straight.”
The Kodiaks’ low early-season ranking stemmed from an entry foul-up that prevented them from playing in Super Series tournament in the Lower Mainland in February.
The 15U Kodiaks boys roster includes Gilbert Kaweensi, Brayden Woroshello, Emmett Russell, Santiago Gonzalez, Dawson Wiens, Owen Martin, Oliver Connelly, Owen White, Sam Cramer, Hunster Anderson, Tolu Bankole, Carter Young, Reed Fox and Jude Poulin. On a deep roster, Nate Groenveld, Brendan Charlston, Mitch Costley and Sam Giesbrecht, are listed as red shirts.
Doug Parker, Leah Parker and Griffin Olexyn are also coaching the team.
The 15U Kodiaks were originally scheduled to play in another Super Series tournament in Nanaimo, April 1-2, but to save on travel costs they’ve arranged three matches in the Okanagan instead.
The 15U boys will also be in action at a tournament in Kamloops, April 8-9, followed by the provincial championship in Abbotsford, May 5-7, and nationals in Edmonton, May 12-14.
