Some of the country’s best volleyball players in Canada are competing in Grande Prairie this week. The 2018 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship is underway at Grande Prairie Regional College.
The top eight teams in the country are facing off, including five conference champions, two wild cards, and the Wolves as hosts. GPRC Sport, Fitness and Wellness Director Ron Thomson says it’s a great opportunity for young athletes to see where hard work in their sport can get them.
“For young girls playing volleyball, this is one of the highlights that they’ll see good quality athletes playing in front of them; it’ll be exciting for them.”
The college previously hosted national volleyball championships five years in a row, with the women’s tournament in 2001 and 2002 and the men’s from 1998 to 2000. Thomson says having them here again is a huge opportunity for the Wolves.
“We see ourselves as a really vibrant volleyball community, and this is a great way to bring volleyball into the community and have some of our local kids get an opportunity to play on a pretty exciting stage.”
The Wolves are ranked 7th going into the tournament, and Thomson admits they’ve got a tough road ahead of them. However, he hopes that their youth and talent will be supported by the hometown crowd.
The first match goes Thursday at 1 p.m. with the gold medal match Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.