Volleyball Teams To Compete In Florida

The Bermuda Volleyball Association’s Junior National Program will be sending four teams to compete in the Florida Holiday Challenge on December 10 and December 11.

A spokesperson said, “This is a two-day, USA Volleyball sanctioned event, with 166 teams currently registered. The tournament will take place at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center and represents the first overseas tournament of the 2022/23 season for the Junior National Team program.

“The selection process for Bermuda’s teams was a difficult one, so congratulations to those who have been selected and to everyone else who have put in so much dedication and commitment. All players have been training two to three times a week since September and everyone is very excited for their first major outing.

“Additionally, all teams have either been playing in the BVA Winter League or the BVA Youth League honing their skills and strategy to give them the best opportunity to do well over the weekend’s matches.

“Providing these young athletes the opportunity to compete overseas is invaluable and this tournament provides them with an opportunity to gain experience above and beyond what is available in Bermuda.

“None of this would be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and dedicated team of coaches and staff. Our amazing sponsors have allowed this program to be accessible to so many new players and have helped provide the opportunities to create seasoned players that have the experience to compete on the global stage.

“All coaches are committed to the players and the program; not only creating talented volleyball players, but strong, confident, team oriented young leaders.”

U13

Allison Settle, U13 Head Coach, said, “The U13 team is an important age group because for nearly all of these players it will be their first competition in the US. The experience that they gain by seeing a high level of volleyball for the first time will have a huge influence on their motivation and growth in the sport.

“I’m sure that they will surprise themselves with what they are capable of doing and discover a joy for the sport that they haven’t experienced yet. The coaches are so excited for them, and we can’t wait to support the journey that they are starting as a volleyball team.“

Allison Settle [Head Coach], Raya Burgess, Olivia Healy, Talia Batista Anna Friston, Alexandra Llewellyn-Jones, Lilian Collette, Olivia Smith, Jasmin Mcintosh, Stuart Mcintosh [Assistant Coach] Missing Taurie Spencer,

U14

Mike Gazzard, U14 Head Coach, said, “The core group of U14 girls have now played together for the last 3 years. Despite the challenges of Covid and several lockdowns, this group of girls have continued to improve upon their base volleyball skills and knowledge of the game. Their performance in league play this year has been impressive thus far, quickly moving up to the top rung and successfully competing against more experienced women’s teams on a weekly basis.

“Our group is excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best under 14 girls teams in the US at the upcoming Florida Holiday Challenge in Daytona. This tournament will be an excellent opportunity for this team to showcase all their hard work, while striving for new levels of team success.”

Meagan McPeek [Assistant Coach], Hailey Trott, Ayshalay Simons, Jade Mehta, Tatiana Sousa, Olivia Gazzard, Kate O’Keefe, Khloie Davis, Evelyn Czember, Mike Gazzard [Head Coach] Missing Somers Estwanik

U16

Lisa LeBlanc, U16 Head Coach, said, “The U16′s are very excited to travel overseas and play against new competition this weekend. We have lost a few starters since the last season; but have gained new talent as well. I expect this tournament will significantly improve all of these players abilities, but especially for three who have never competed overseas before.

“We have been working very hard during our practices and I’m optimistic that they will pull all their strengths together, minimise their errors and unify as a team. I look forward to bringing back a stronger team, which will only enhance those who we were not able to take on this trip.”

Denise Somerville [Assistant Coach], Gabriella Mitchell, Alexis Fraser, Ava Romeo, Isabella Sousa, Lara Simas, Celeste Candiolo, Chloe Botelho, Dominique Brown Makaylie Smith, Lisa LeBlanc [Head Coach]

U18

Gary LeBlanc, U18 Head Coach, said, “Coming off of the heels of last season’s success with the U18s we are looking forward to this season and our first tournament overseas. Last year’s team set the bar pretty high and while we had a lot of our core players graduate last year, I’m really looking forward to seeing the potential of this team with its new composition of returning players and those who have moved up.

“We have been training extremely hard since we started in September and going to this tournament in December every year is a great way to see where we stack up versus teams in the US, early in the season. This tournament will enable us to identify our strengths and weaknesses because before we know it, we’ll be heading to Boston in the Spring for our biggest tournament of the season.”

Gary LeBlanc [Head Coach], Jessie Debraga, Natalie Gazzard, Kayley Hamilton, Samai Dunn, Leticia Lima Ferreria [Assistant Coach], Hailey Moss, Anna Marcotte, Caitlin Bento, Jocelyn Manuel, Kate Marcotte 

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