Regional volleyball teams compete at tournament to ‘break ice, work together’

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Volleyball squads from around the region converged in the North Peace for an annual event this past weekend.

The IceBreaker tournament, hosted by Fort St. John’s Northern BC Volleyball Club (NBCVC), was first conceptualized in 2020, according to NBCVC’s Sara Richardson.

While the Covid pandemic shut down the idea temporarily, it was first held in January 2024.

Richardson is the club’s volunteer social media coordinator and tells Energeticcity.ca the event was imagined as a way for teams to “break the ice and work together,” before heading to larger tournaments.

This year, 45 teams from around the region took part, across six divisions from U-12 to U-17/18. The tournament was sponsored by Murray GM Fort St. John.

Grande Prairie’s South Peace Volleyball Club was a big winner, taking gold medals in the U-12, U-14 and U-17/18 tournaments. 

Other teams in the tournament included squads from Peace River, Beaverlodge, Manning and Dawson Creek. 

Notable in the tournament was the admission of the Hudson’s Hope Volts, who just recently formed. They finished fifth among eight teams in the U-16 division.

The IceBreaker was held at local schools, including North Peace Secondary School, Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School and Anne Roberts Young Elementary.

Richardson said a special thank you also went to Bert Bowes Middle School, who lended equipment to the tournament, and to volunteers.

“All the volunteers to help run the tournament and organize it,” said Richardson. “That becomes parents and families and siblings and the schools.

“We’re so grateful for the schools because Fort St. John doesn’t have public courts. Otherwise we wouldn’t have anywhere to play. We’re so grateful that the school district shares their courts with us.”

The NBCVC IceBreaker volleyball tournament took place on January 10th and 11th, 2026.