The Norman region girls’ volleyball team may have come up short in terms of hardware at the recent Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games.
But the team, consisting of girls from Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson, displayed a strong competitive spirit, says manager Colleen McKee.
“More importantly, the team experienced a whole different aspect of sport – the art of being good sports and making new friends,” adds McKee. “When not on the court they befriended other regional teams and even went as far as to show up, chant and cheer for their two favourite teams, Winnipeg Gold and Westman.
“This region should be proud of these 12 girls, who were exemplary ambassadors of the North.”
McKee noted the girls practiced together as a team a scarce four times before the Games in Steinbach.
“Although opportunities to hone their skills were few and far between, the girls came together and kept it respectable,” she said.
“This Norman girls’ team competed like they were 10 ft tall and bulletproof, never wavering in their confidence and digging harder than a miner digs for gold.”
At the Games, the girls competed against Winnipeg Blue, Westman, Parkland and, on two occasions, Eastman, the team that eliminated them.
Tryouts for the team were held earlier in the year. Competition was stiff with about 40 girls trying out.
The final roster consisted of eight girls from Flin Flon and two each from The Pas and Thompson: local girls Madison McIntyre (captain), Rylee Reierson (alternate captain), Meghan Oliynyk (alternate captain), Maryn McKee, Leah Mote, Elextra Coulqhoun, Meadow Taylor and Abby Quick; Tenille Coulter and Austyn Early of The Pas; and Hayley Sylvester and Emma Diebert of Thompson. Kyla Reierson and Amy Olenick were the coaches.
