It was what coach Kat Sahota called their “first real competition” of the season and it went well for the Langley- and Surrey-based Fraser Valley Volleyball Club (FVVC) Black, who started the weekend U16 Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley Super Series at Langley Secondary School as a Division 2 team.

When the two-day event was over on Sunday, Feb. 5., FVVC Black was a Division 1 team, moving up as a result of winning the series, taking gold in a hard-fought battle that saw them defeat Surrey’s Seaside Riptide in the final match.

“These girls are amazing,” Sahota told the Langley Advance Times.

“They worked their butts off.”

Sahota explained the pandemic was a challenge for players, with some aging out while play was suspended, and others able to practice, but unable to get real-world competition experience.

“A lot of kids didn’t play club, because the opportunity wasn’t there,” Sahota commented.

Niamh Conlin at the U16 Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley Super Series hosted by Langley Secondary School on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4-5. Her team, Langley-based Division 2 Fraser Valley Volleyball Club Black, won the series and moved up to Division 1. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

FVVC Black, coached by Sahota and assistant coach Jeff Van Huizen, played three games Saturday and three on Sunday to get to the championship round.

In a hard-fought best-of-three match. the FVVC team won the first 25-8, only to have Surrey come back with a narrow win of 26-24, before they won the deciding game — and gold — by an equally close 16-14 margin.

In all, 14 Division 2 teams took part in the weekend competition.

Madelyn Freeman in action at the U16 Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley Super Series hosted by Langley Secondary School on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4-5. Her team, Langley-based Division 2 Fraser Valley Volleyball Club Black, won the series and moved up to Division 1. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Based in Langley and Surrey, FVVC Black includes student athletes from seven schools, including players from Walnut Grove, Brookswood, R.E. Mountain and Langley Christian School.

Their next big test comes in early March, when the team will attend the Island Super Series on Vancouver Island.

More photos from the event can be seen on the Langley Advance Times Facebook page.

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