For the first time ever, Interlake Volleyball Club is a national champion.
Interlake Volleyball Club Tyler defeated the Oceanside Volleyball Club Eagles in straight sets (25-16, 25-19) to win the Tier 10 championship of the 14U Girls Volleyball Canada Youth Nationals on May 11 at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg.
The victory marks the first national title in program history for Interlake Volleyball Club, which is currently in its third season.
Made up mostly of 13U players, Interlake Tyler put together a dominant playoff run on the final day of competition, going undefeated en route to capturing gold.
“It was such a confidence builder for them,” said head coach Tyler Oliver. “We had a bit of a rocky provincial outing and didn’t quite reach the goal they were hoping for, but they definitely put it all together at nationals. They played so well — the games we played were all close. They were so excited to get a gold medal.”
All three 14U Interlake Volleyball Club teams competed at nationals, but it was Interlake Tyler that stole the spotlight with its final-day performance.
After going 3-3 in pool play from May 9–10, Interlake Tyler entered the May 11 playoff round facing the 4-2 Winnipeg Volleyball Academy Blazers Heat in the quarterfinals.
Following a narrow first-set win, Interlake Tyler pulled away in the second set to take the match 2-0 (25-21, 25-16).
They then met fellow clubmates Interlake Volleyball Club Erin in an all-Interlake semifinal.
With a spot in the Tier 10 national final on the line, both teams battled through a close opening set, which Interlake Tyler took 25-21. In the second, they pulled away decisively with a 25-11 win to advance to the championship game.
In the final, Interlake Tyler faced Oceanside Volleyball Club from British Columbia and delivered another straight-sets victory to claim gold.
Oliver credited the team’s focus on first contact throughout the season — specifically serving and passing — as a key to their success.
“First contact being your serve, and first pass coming back at you, because that sets up all your options,” said Oliver. “The girls were passing, they were serving so well. Honestly, that’s the main reason why we beat those teams in two straight. They just put it together at the right time, and yeah, it was fabulous. It was the right time to peak.”
Meanwhile, Interlake Volleyball Club Chelsea competed in Tier 11, where their run ended in the quarterfinals on May 11. They were eliminated in three sets (25-22, 20-25, 12-15) by Mountain View Volleyball Ltd. MVP #1, who would go on to win the Tier 11 national title.
