After an almost 20-year-long hiatus, Barriere Secondary Athletics is proud to announce they have entered a senior boys’ volleyball team into their 2023 fall sports program. Although competing in the Senior ‘A’ division, the team boasts student athletes from Grade 12, all the way down to Grade 8. Their twelve-man roster is made up of seven juniors, five seniors, and coached by Barriere Alumni and current Senior Boys’ Basketball coach, Kiera Eustache.
The boys have proven they are not only here to play but to compete after coming out on top in a straight two-set victory against ‘AAAA’ school, Norkam, last Wednesday, Oct. 18. They owe their success to their magnetic team chemistry and having an undeniably positive attitude throughout the game. Despite varying ages and personalities, the players are held together by strong leadership from team captain, Cohen Hunt, who believes, “we show great perseverance against our opponents, no matter the outcome.” This statement is made true by the team members always playing with a smile and celebrating each and every success, big or small.
As a young team new to the sport of volleyball - none having played since elementary school - their team goal is to continue improving and gaining experience before attending Okanagans, where they will have the chance to come up against some of the best ‘A’ teams in the province. While they automatically qualify for the Okanagan tournament due to there only being two teams in the west zone, the Barriere Senior Boys are committed to earning their place through hard work and dedication to their craft.
The boys hope their energy and excitement on the court will inspire younger Barriere athletes to join volleyball, and continue building a successful program well into the future. The Barriere Senior Boys’ Volleyball team would like to invite their community to be a part of this aspiring new journey and cheer them on during their last home games of the season, taking place at Barriere Secondary on Wednesday, Nov. 1. They compete against Westsyde Secondary, and long time rivals St. Ann’s Academy at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
