Westgate Wings flying high

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This article was published 13/12/2022 (645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Westgate Wings soared above the competition en route to being crowned AAA varsity girls provincial champions.

The varsity girls swept through the tournament undefeated, winning all matches in the round robin and elimination stage in straight sets, often by 10 or more points, and topping off the tournament with a 25-14, 25-15 win over the Béliveau Barracudas in the championship match.

“I was ecstatic,” said coach Jules Martens, a former Manitoba Bisons volleyball player whose daughter Julia plays setter for the Wings. “I just felt so good for the girls because I’ve won before, and I don’t care about me, I just wanted the girls to get to feel that championship feeling… It bonds you for life.”

Martens credited the team’s success to the girls’ determination.

“The girls really bought into what it takes to win, and the scores weren’t indicative of the competition. The scores were indicative of how well we played. Our girls were relentless, and they didn’t allow teams back in the games once we had leads,” he said.

Tournament MVP Mia Dasch said the small, seven-person squad played together so well partly because of their closeness off the court.

“We’re all really good friends… and just to be playing with your friends on the court, it’s even more fun,” the 16-year-old Grade 11 student said.

Dasch said that camaraderie led to some mixed emotions when the final point was scored and with it, the team had become champions.

“It was really crazy, and it was also sad,” she said, as it marked the end of her playing with some of the senior students, who will be graduating in spring. “But that’s what we set out to do at the beginning of the tournament and we reached our goal. It felt like all our hard work paid off.”

On a personal level, Dasch said it was an unexpected honour to be named the tournament’s top player, and she graciously accepted the reward for her work.

“It was unexpected, but I was really proud of the way I played,” she said.

Grade 12 student Finnley Rydman also received individual honours, being named to the tournament all-star roster.

“I never expected it. I thought it was going to go to Mia and Julia,” she said.

Rydman said she was in “shock” after the win.

“It was my last school game. So going through that and going through the process of winning was a lot for me,” she said.

Rydman agreed the team gelled so well because of how close the girls had become over the year. With the pandemic interfering with last season, the team was starting from square one when this season got rolling, so clicking quickly was important.

“It helped us communicate better and we weren’t scared of each other if we were making a mistake,” Rydman said.

Next year, Rydman is considering continuing her volleyball career in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, better known as the NCAA, in the United States.

The right side player has been scouted by universities in Vermont and Florida, but hasn’t yet made a decision.