Chetwynd Secondary boys’ Chargers volleyball heads to provincials

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Current image: A picture of the Chetwynd Secondary School Chargers boys volleyball team. Five of its 10 members are band members of Saulteau First Nations of nearby Moberly Lake (photo submitted by Toni Ethier) — Chetwynd Secondary School’s boys’ volleyball squad have qualified for class ‘A’ provincials slated to take place in Abbotsford. (Photo submitted by Toni Ethier)

CHETWYND, B.C. — They might have the smallest student body, but the Chetwynd Secondary School’s boys’ volleyball squad had enough muscle to push to provincials.

The ten-man Chargers are heading to the class ‘A’ provincial volleyball tournament in Abbotsford, and head coach Toni Ethier seems as ready as her squad.

She told Energeticcity.ca playing in a provincial tournament “will bring some stress” but her team won’t be intimidated playing in the big spotlight against some of B.C.’s best teams.

“I don’t think so, certainly not in the world of volleyball,” said Ethier. “I am not sure what the big city is going to feel like for [the players]. But we have a practice a couple of days before, to get all the kinks out.

“But we have been competing against bigger schools in Prince George for the past five years. We are used to high-level volleyball. I don’t think they are going to go in there and think, looking at some of the teams, ‘oh these guys are really good.’”

They went undefeated against teams from Fort Nelson Secondary School, Nechako Valley Secondary School of Vanderhoof and Peter Skene Ogden Secondary from 100 Mile House to reach the pinnacle on November 14th and 15th.

The Chargers squad include caucasian, Asian and First Nation members of local bands Saulteau First Nations (SFN) and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN).

First Nations players include setter Phinn Cameron, back row player Lucas Lalonde, middle Keegan Desjarlais, setter Carter Davis, and setter Grayson Gentry.

The chemistry the boys have shared since first playing together in eighth grade has been “wonderful” in helping them get to provincials, something Ethier described as a goal for the entire team upon first meeting them.

“They are a really close-knit group of boys,” said Ethier. “There is just so much variety on the team. They have played together for five years. They know each other pretty well.”

The class ‘A’ provincial volleyball tournament will take place from November 27th to 29th at St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary School in Abbotsford, sanctioned by BC School Sports.