Jenna Johner and the provincial under-18 Sask. Green women’s volleyball team captured bronze at the 2016 Women’s National Team Challenge Cup.
The Challenge Cup is a competition where elite teams from across Canada gather to compete. It was held July 14 to 17 in Richmond, B.C.
There were teams from Seattle, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Yukon.
Johner says it was an amazing experience to play with and against some of Canada’s premier volleyball athletes and was honored and grateful to have the opportunity.
“Being selected was a big accomplishment after three years of working toward it. The hours of training were long but they were worth every minute of it and they were what made us come out with the result that we did.”
“Getting a bronze medal felt great,” said Johner. “We felt we played a strong game on our side and the fact that the gold medal game was so close within our reach only motivated and let us know that it is possible and that we’ll be working even harder to go for that next year.”
“I was with a great group of girls,” said Johner. “Through training you had support of everyone, and once split into our teams we could really connect with each other.
“We all worked together so well through the course of the weekend and that is what made everything a success for us,” said Johner. “It was a very humbling and proud experience being able to represent Saskatchewan this year alongside so many great athletes and coaches.”
The provincial teams began training at the beginning of June on weekends in Regina and in Saskatoon, then in July they were training out of Caronport and would stay four to five days straight, then home for two days in between training sessions.
Saskatchewan sent four womens teams, two in the 16U age division and two in the 18U age division.
Pool play began with Sask. Green facing the under-17 Sask. White. These girls have trained together for months so for one team to have to lose is hard on all the girls.
The Green team won three sets to one, 25-21, 25-16, 23-25 and 27-25. Then Sask. Green faced up against Newfoundland Maroon, winning three sets, 25-17, 30-28 and 25-17.
Then Sask. Green faced Manitoba 1, with this match going to five sets. The Sask. team won three sets to two, 25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 21-25 and 16-14.
In their next match, Sask. Green faced Quebec 1, winning three sets to one, 21-25, 26-24, 25-18, and 25-15. At the end of pool play, Sask. Green was undefeated and at the top of the standings ahead of 12 others teams.
In their quarter-final match Sask. Green had to face Sask. White and won three sets to zero, 25-19, 25-15 and 25-23.
In the semi-final match, Sask. Green faced an Alberta team. Things did not go their way and they fell for the first time in the tournament three sets to one. The sem-final is always a tough loss but the team rallied and dominated a B.C. team in the bronze medal match, winning in three straight sets 28-26, 25-16 and 25-17.
From the tournament, the under-17 Sask. White team placed sixth over. The under-16 Sask. White and Green teams placed 13th and 14th respectively.
Saskatchewan mens volleyball teams also competed at the 2016 Men’s NTCC in Kingston, Ontario and the under-18 Sask. White team brought home a silver medal.
Another Weyburn product, Paul Dionne who was playing with the under-17 Sask. Green team, finished eighth overall.
