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Players strive to reach volleyball peak

Some young ladies are putting in the time on the court in an effort to reach their peak when they get to high school – or beyond.
Claire Sweeney of the Peak Volleyball U13(A) team goes up for a spike during a drill at the Crescent Point Field House near Aldersyde. Peak is hosting a tournament April 9-10
Claire Sweeney of the Peak Volleyball U13(A) team goes up for a spike during a drill at the Crescent Point Field House near Aldersyde. Peak is hosting a tournament April 9-10 at the field house.

Some young ladies are putting in the time on the court in an effort to reach their peak when they get to high school – or beyond.

The girls on the Peak U13(A) volleyball team rolled right into the club season after they finished playing for their respective junior high school teams.

“Peak to me is like a second home,” said Claire Sweeney, a Grade 8 student at Red Deer Lake School. “We all lift each other up and we support each other like a family.”

The Peak Volleyball Club practices out of the Crescent Point Field House near Aldersyde.

The field house has opened its arms to volleyball, as Peak had teams taking up two courts for much of the evening on March 17.

The facilities and being able to play with friends and others at Peak, meant Sweeney didn’t think twice about joining Peak after the Red Deer Lake Dragons’ season was over.

“I wanted to continue playing because I love volleyball and Peak helps me support the passion that I have,” Sweeney said. “I felt that Peak was a good place to start my club career.”

The U13 squad consists of players from across the Foothills with a couple coming from Calgary.

The team proved to be an ideal example how rural living and that city lifestyle can come together as one on the court.

The Peak U13 team finished second at an Alberta Volleyball Association tournament in Calgary late last month.

“At first we all kind of started out weak but then we all picked each other up and we helped each other out,” said Sydney Lacombe, a student at Westmount School.

Maddie Duggan is one of the Peak players who is coming down from Calgary to take advantage of what the Foothills based club has to offer.

“There’s a couple of us (Calgarians) from Peak here,” the Grade 8 student said. “As Claire said, it is kind of like home. I have made so many new friends.”

She said Peak played against clubs from Calgary in the AVA tournament and they were more than able to compete.

The U13 team is coached by Meghan Calvert, a 2010 graduate of Holy Trinity Academy who was a setter for the Knights.

“I used to play for the Okotoks Volleyball Club and I have always wanted to coach at a higher level,” she said.

She said Peak puts an emphasis on improvement on the court — wins will follow after that.

“Peak has become a bigger club and there is an emphasis on development of athletes, hence we have two U13 teams,” she said.

She added having a permanent place to call home in the Crescent Point Field house has done wonders in generating interest in volleyball from across the Foothills.

At present, Peak has five girls team, two U13, and U14, U15 and U17 teams.

Peak will host a U13/U14 Alberta Volleyball Tournament on April 9-10 at the Crescent Point Field house. Peak’s annual general meeting is April 18 at the field house at 7 p.m.

For more information about the Peak Volleyball Club go to peakvolleyballclub.com.

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