Local volleyball player participates in prestigious all-star game
- Ron Giofu
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
A local volleyball player travelled to Orangeville earlier this month to play in a prestigious all-star game.
Amherstburg resident and volleyball player Makenna McCann played in the 16U Girls All Canadian Volleyball Games June 8. The event was hosted by founder and Canadian comedian Gerry Dee and it was held at the Athlete Institute in Orangeville.
McCann said it involved 24 of the best volleyball athletes from across Canada in the 16U age division. It was a four-set game between Team Gray and Team Blue and McCann saw her share of action in the match. It was the third year for the event.
The match was invitation-only and was described as highly competitive and skilled.
“There’s a board of a bunch of coaches from all over Canada. They selected the athletes,” said McCann.
The girls spent three days, training and practicing with some of the best coaches from Canadian colleges and universities prior to the game.
McCann said she would see Dee around games she was playing in with her travel program, the South County Bandits. The invitation still caught her off-guard.
“It definitely was a surprise,” she said.
McCann also plays for the senior girls team at St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School. She said she found out about the All Canadian team in February while at Villanova when she received an e-mail. It was posted to Instagram a few days later.
The All Canadian Volleyball Games are a showcase for female volleyball players at not just the 16U age group, but 17U age group as well. It helps athletes that are seeking post-secondary volleyball scholarships at colleges and universities in Canada and the United States.
The 16U Girls All Canadian Game was sponsored by CWENCH and Mizuno Volleyball. McCann thanked all sponsors including Kyndryl in addition to Mizuno and CWENCH.
“It was so great to be invited and get to play with the best girls in Canada. Gerry Dee put on an amazing event and the knowledge I gathered from the coaches and the other girls was fantastic. It was such a fun and amazing experience. I’m so grateful to Gerry, the sponsors, and everyone involved in the event,” said McCann.
McCann added it was interesting to see how volleyball was played across Canada and learn different techniques. Sophia Nepszy of Windsor also played in the game. McCann is an Outside Hitter and Nepszy is a Setter. Both players are members of the South County Bandits, and play on the 16U Bandits team for indoor volleyball.
McCann said she will soon play in a similar game against players from around Canada, with that to be held at Brock University. Local volleyball player participates in prestigious all-star game
By Ron Giofu