It’ll be an exciting moment for three Langley volleyball players who are heading to the BC Summer Games because of their exceptional indoor volleyball skills.
Nicole Chevrier, Emma Kastelein and Avery Heppell all made the Zone 3 indoor volleyball team for the upcoming BC Summer Games hosted in Surrey this July — not just because they are all six feet tall, but because they are some of the most skilled players in the zone. All three live and attend school in Langley, with Chevrier and Kastelein entering grade 10 this September and Heppell entering grade 9.
The girls were selected during a grueling multi-session tryout that went on for almost two weeks. About 55 elite players from Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford, White Rock, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Port Moody and several other areas attended the 15U tryouts for Zone 3 — a zone that is home to the top six teams in BC and home to many of BC’s best players, so the competition was very strong. In the end the big group was narrowed down to 14 players that included these three Langley girls.
All three play as middles on the court and are known for big blocks and powerful hits at the net. They also play beach volleyball, two versus two in the sand, and play for their high schools each fall, providing them with added training in the off-season period from their competitive club teams. All three have played on the same team in the past but last year, for a variety of reasons, they played on different teams. This had them staring through the net and battling each other as competitors but now they get to play together again, and they’re all excited to do so.
Volleyball runs in the family for the girls who all have family members also achieving volleyball success at their respective ages — from being MVPs to making university teams and everything in between.
The next step for them is striving to win a medal at the Summer Games. But they also have bigger, long-term goals — they all want to win a provincial championship, maybe a national title, play volleyball at university, and perhaps one day play for the women’s national team. Big goals, but they certainly have the height, drive and skill to accomplish them.
The BC Summer Games run from July 19 to 22 at several venues around Surrey with the indoor volleyball being played at Semiahmoo Secondary, 1785 148 St., in South Surrey. For more, visit www.bcgames.org.