Cochrane’s newest volleyball team, the Cochrane Volleyball Club Kodiaks, debuted at their first tournament of the year at the ACE First Attack Tournament that took place on the weekend of Jan. 4.
The tournament took place at the ACE Athletic Centre in Calgary and hosted 16 U15 teams. The Kodiaks played 10 games, only losing two matches and placing first in Division 2.
Team manager for the Kodiaks, Rhonda Laurell, said the girls had the chance to get some early season games as they prep for the upcoming Volleyball Alberta season.
“It’s a really, really good start to the season, and promising play from the girls,” she said. “Lots of this to continue to build on as we prepare for Premier 1, which will pit us against about 75 teams in southern Alberta at the end of January, in our first seating tournament for provincials.”
The roster consisted of Landree Brown Belle Carr, Merrin Cooper, Rylee Dolgin, Morgan Derricott, Georgia Harrison, Ruby Hooper, Mataya Hoskin, Eva Huybrecht, Kasha Kelly, Haylee Laurell, and Zenieke Snyman.
With the tournament behind them, Laurell said that they have one smaller tournament in January before they take on the three Premier tournaments that run in February and March. Looking to the future, this is all in preparation for provincials and nationals, which are set for April and May.
“The Cochrane Volleyball Club is a brand-new club in Cochrane this year,” Laurell said. “The team and its coaches are in its third year of playing together, and last year at the U14 nationals in Richmond, we won gold in our age and division. There’s definitely a lot of potential on this team, and we have three coaches that are dedicating a lot of time and energy for the girls and the team. We’re hoping that this success continues through the season.”
Laurell explained that the team used to be under the umbrella of the ACE Volleyball Club for the last two years.
“We were looking for an opportunity to be a little more community-centered in Cochrane since all of our girls are from the Cochrane area,” Laurell explained. “The goal of the coaches was to continue working with the girls, but in a way that kept volleyball accessible and a little more affordable than it is with some of the big clubs.”
The group is very excited to make their debut in Cochrane, and Laurell adds that coaches Chelsea Stedford, John Brown, and Ivo Stedford have been working all through last summer and fall to bring everything together.
“It’s quite exciting to have Cochrane in the name now instead of ACE Volleyball,” she said.
Down the line, Laurell said the club hopes to expand their group to host more teams for volleyball players in Cochrane.
“We’re hoping that we can provide more opportunities for people to play, learn, and develop in that sport, but stay within Cochrane to do that,” she said.
