A black bear made headlines as it journeyed its way through South Surrey just a couple months ago, but Grizzlies were the newsmakers after a weekend tournament at Grandview Heights Secondary.
Grandview Heights Grizzlies, that is.
The South Surrey high school hosted a 12-team senior girls volleyball tournament – the Grizzly Growl – on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 13-14), with the Grizzlies going undefeated in pool play vs. Earl Marriott, Samuel Roberts Technical School and Gladstone while not losing a set.
Grizzlies peaked in the playoffs, with 2-0 set wins in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Grandview Heights athletic director Sierra Rai noted in an email.
In the finals, Grandview played the top-ranked Seaquam Seahawks. After losing their first set of the tournament 25-22, the girls rallied back to win 25-22 then 15-6 in the third and final set to claim the tournament title at the Grizzly Growl tournament.
"I am incredibly happy with our play and how our team has come together to start this year. We have a lot of younger players who had a lot of success at the junior level last year, and they have looked impressive making the jump up to senior," said Grandview Heights teacher and senior girls coach Jason Wilkinson.
"While a high level of skill is important, I believe it's all about the character, values, and putting the team first. This is now a group of athletes that started Grandview in Grade 8 when it first opened, and they looked up to the positive culture and legacy that the original team put in place. It's great to see how much the girls support one another and wear their school jersey with pride."
Brookswood Bobcats placed third in the competition, with Caitlyn Bell, an outside hitter from Grandview, named player of the tournament.
"As our school has grown and started to establish a program, we have started to gain recognition in the school volleyball community," Wilkinson said (Grandview Heights opened in 2021). "My goal is for every team that plays us to know that Grandview will always push you to the limit, and that if you are going to beat us, you need to earn it."
Other school in the tournament included Salish, Kwantlen Park, Pitt Meadiws and Clayton Heights secondaries.
The school will participate in several upcoming tournaments throughout volleyball season as the school year gets underway, including the Peace Arch News Classic, with the ultimate goal being provincial championships.
"I hope this year the girls continue to battle for one another, on and off the court. We have the skill to compete at the highest level and our goal this year and every year, is to qualify for the provincial championships and show that we belong there," Wilkinson said.
"The first time we stepped into the gym to start our season, we talked about our ultimate goal of getting to the B.C. Championships. Everything we do is with that end goal in mind."
