By Joel van der Veen

LOREBURN — Coming out on top was a good way for the Loreburn 14U girls club volleyball team to start things off.

Earlier this month, the team competed in its first tournament in Warman, winning gold in the Tier 3 division at the 14U Subway Saskatchewan Cup on Feb. 7.

Team manager Amanda Glubis said the eight players on the team — hailing from Loreburn, Davidson and Outlook — have all played on high school teams at the junior level, but this is their first season playing together as a club team.

“They really have clicked as a team,” she said last week, adding that the girls all exhibit a similar skill level. “I’m pretty excited . . . it’s working quite well.”

Playing from Loreburn are Alyssa Glubis, Abby Adams and Baylee Batza, while Davidson is represented by Sydney Smith, Tylar Oliver and Jordan Matheson. Two players from Outlook, Kennedy Pederson and Tanner Neufeld, complete the roster.

The team played seven games over the weekend, beginning with round-robin play on Saturday. Though they endured a couple of losses, the girls won their crossover game on Saturday night to determine their tier.

They went on to enjoy a string of wins on Sunday, culminating in their win over the Yorkton Blitz Storm in three sets during the Tier 3 final.

With club volleyball on the rise, Glubis said having the 14U team is beneficial for the parents as well as the players, giving them a taste of the club experience.

For instance, playing seven games in one tournament gave the girls plenty of time on the court, as opposed to school tournaments where a team might drop out of competition after two or three games.

“I think (the parents) were impressed with how much the kids did get to play,” said Glubis, adding that playing the game is the best way to develop skills.

The team began meeting in January and practises twice a week, but has not had any scheduled games outside of tournaments.

Glubis said it has been difficult to arrange court time in the cities, while their teams are reluctant to travel out of town for games.

“They don’t really want to come out here,” she reported. “It’s just too hard to get that organized.”

The Loreburn team is scheduled to compete in a tournament hosted by Regina’s Queen City Volleyball Club (QCVC) on March 12 and 13, followed by the provincial tournament in Saskatoon and Warman from April 15 to 17.

Carmen Heinrichs coaches the Loreburn team, assisted by Kaitlyn Glubis.