June 29, 2010



Brandon Tri-Star Storm to represent Canada at NORCECA junior women’s volleyball championship July 5-10 in Tijuana



OTTAWA – The Brandon Tri-Star Storm will trade in their pink jerseys for Team Canada’s red and white at the NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) junior women’s volleyball championship set for July 5-10 in Tijuana, Mexico.



The Tri-Storm won their second straight women’s national 18U championship last month in Abbotsford, B.C., and will field a 10-member team led by head coach Derek Richels for the 10-country tournament, which is also a qualifier for next year’s world junior championships.



This Tri-Star Storm squad has been together for two years and was also the Canadian National Champions in the 17U division in 2009.



The team members are: left siders Lisa Barclay and Jen Dixon of Brandon; middles Erika Buchanan of Shoal Lake and Angelica Quiring , Meaghan Robertson and Courtney Roberts, all of Brandon; right siders Sarah Didychuk and Samantha Hutcheson of Brandon; libero Chloe Reimer of Sanford, Man., and setter Mary Thomson of Brandon.



Head coach is Derek Richels of Brandon while Bryce Wilson is the assistant coach and Kevin Neufeld of Brandon is the team manager.



‘’The team is really excited about this unique opportunity,’’ said Neufeld. ‘’We’ve accomplished some great things over the last couple of years and we are looking forward to this new challenge.’’



Canada is in Pool A with the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Canada’s first round robin match is Monday July 5 against Costa Rica followed by a July 7 encounter against the Dominican. The top-two in each of the three pools advances to the playoffs. The quarterfinals are July 8, the semis July 9 and the final July 10.



The B pool team members are Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba and the C pool teams are the U.S., El Salvador, Mexico and Guadeloupe.



Note: The Tri- Star Storm was given the Order of Sports Excellence from the Province of Manitoba at the Manitoba Volleyball Association awards earlier this month in Winnipeg.



For more information:

Louis Daignault

Volleyball Canada

Tel: (613) 824-9475

Skype: louis.daignault

E-mail: louisdaignault@rogers.com

Web: www.volleyball.ca

Facebook: Volleyball Canada

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VBallCanada