Lindsay Thurber volleyball player Riley de Wit has added another medal to the trophy case.
The 17-year-old Red Deerian won a bronze medal with U17 Team Alberta at Volleyball Canada’s 2018 Canada Cup in Richmond, B.C. this past weekend.
Team Alberta beat one of two Ontario teams in five sets to win bronze at the 10-team Division 1 tournament.
“I was very happy with my game, especially during the bronze medal game. I think it was at the highest level it’s ever been,” said de Wit, who will head into Grade 12 this upcoming school year.
Last year there were two Alberta teams at de Wit’s age group and this year there was just one.
“This team was much harder to make,” she said. “The tryout was before the summer, so we could train for two weeks as a team. It felt more relaxed than last year because during those two weeks we were trying to make a team.”
“The tournament had a way higher level of teams from all the provinces. There were a lot more teams this year too,” de Wit said.
This year has been a great year for de Wit’s development, she added.
“I switched to an outside hitter position last summer, so I’m preparing for university. I think my development has been incredible – all my coaches played a part in it and each team I was on was very competitive,” she said.
The Lindsay Thurber girls’ volleyball team won a gold medal this past year at the 4A Alberta Schools Athletic Association provincial volleyball championships, something de Wit hopes to repeat in her final high school season.
“I think our chances are pretty high – we’ve got a good team coming in,” she said.
While this will be her last year high school, she hasn’t looked too far into where she’ll go to university.
“I’m just taking it all in as it comes. I have my eyes on a few (schools), but I’m keeping my options option for now,” she said.
Kira Weddell, who also attends Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, was an alternate on the U17 team, but did not travel to the tournament. There were also two Central Alberta players on the U15 and U16 teams, de Wit said.
“It was an honour (to play in the Canada Cup), that’s for sure,” she said. “It felt really good to represent Red Deer and Alberta.”
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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