Manitoba going for gold at Canada Summer games

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This article was published 21/07/2022 (637 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s reputation as a hotbed of volleyball on the national scene isn’t up for debate but there’s pressure associated with that status.

The women who will represent the province at next month’s Canada Summer Games understand that and although they have been going about their preparations with little fanfare, they are clear about their goals.

“We’re going for gold — there’s no doubt about that,” said right side Faye Murray earlier this week as the provincial U20 squad practised at the Sport for Life Centre. “Primarily, we’re here to win and bring home the medal like they did in 2017 and keep that (tradition) going.

“But really, we’re just working hard every day and we’re all trying to improve ourselves individually as well as improve the team. We’re trying to become better athletes and teammates.”

Head coach Alix Krahn, who played on the province’s 2009 Canada Summer Games gold-medal winners, said there will be a number of quality provincial sides at the 2022 Games. The indoor women’s tournament is scheduled for Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., Aug. 16-21.

“Even though Manitoba does have a legacy of winning, I think it’s really important to go in with the perspective of we’re going to earn every win that we get, we’re going to work hard and stay committed to working hard and as a product of working hard we’ll get to wherever you want to reach,” said Krahn.

“I’m also a big proponent of the team needs to set the goals and the initiative. We’ve had a team session where we’ve talked about what we want to achieve this summer and certainly a gold medal is on that list.”

Krahn’s roster is sprinkled with young players fresh from the high school ranks, such as University of Manitoba star recruit Raya Surinx, but she’ll also be able to rely on a more veteran presence of Rosenort’s Murray and 5-10 setter Justine Kolody.

Murray, a 19-year-old St. Mary’s Academy grad, recently completed an excellent freshman season with the Mount Royal University, helping the Cougars runner-up finish at the U Sports nationals after beginning the season as a likely redshirt player.

Murray did so despite playing out of position as a starting middle after an injury to a veteran player meant she was thrown into the breach.

At the U Sports national tournament, Mount Royal eliminated Kolody’s Alberta Pandas in the semifinals. Kolody’s season also took an unexpected turn.

One of the Pandas veteran setters quit the team early in the school year and Kolody quickly earned a starting spot, only to suffer a stress fracture in an ankle during a pre-season tournament. She rehabbed the injury and reclaimed her role in January.

At the Games, Kolody is expected to be a vocal leader for her home province.

“I think it’s about effort level,” said Kolody. “I know if we try our hardest and we do everything we possibly can, I can definitely accept where we place. Everyone obviously wants to win but as long as we’re trying hard and we’re doing everything we can and I’m totally happy where we end up.”

Left side Natalie Lemoine-Sells, a 17-year-old product of the Junior Bisons program via Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, is heading to the University of Fraser Valley for her first season of U Sports competition this fall. A successful run at the Games would be an ideal way to kickstart her season.

“On this team we all treat each other kind of as equals, independent of our age and experience,” said the 6-foot Lemoine-Sells.” Obviously, you can learn from the older players with their university experience but just finding ways to be like a leader as much as I can, too. And I played up with some of these girls, too, when I was younger, so I’ve always I haven’t really had a problem finding my way to lead a team.”

Krahn is guiding the team through five evening practices and three morning skills sessions per week.

This weekend in Calgary, the Manitobans get their first game action as a unit at the Canada Cup, an event that will feature the national junior team and a number of provincial 20U squads.

It’s a good opportunity to fine-tune the team’s chemistry on and off the court.

Next month, Krahn wouldn’t mind duplicating Manitoba’s 2017 victory on its home court.

“I got to watch that game at Investors Group (Athletic Centre) and the energy in the building was pretty electric,” said Krahn. “It’s so funny because I played in 2009, we also won a gold that summer and it was in P.E.I. and I thought the energy there was electric. But when I saw IGAC packed to the grill, with all the people there, it was awesome. To see that just gives you chills.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter @sawa14