WINDSOR, N.S. — The Avon View High School girls varsity volleyball team already has a solid streak of wins, and they could be the main contender in regionals and league championships later this year.
Head coach Derek Fleming said he’s really impressed with their talent and cohesion, with the team made up of Grades 9–12.
“They’re a young team; we lost four of our starters after they graduated last year,” Fleming said.
“We’ve got a Grade 9 and a couple of Grade 10s starting,” he said.
“And so far this year, between the tournament at Saint Mary’s and league play, we’ve lost one match this year,” he said. “Overall they’re doing quite well.”
Their record so far, 7-1, is impressive. But Fleming said he doesn’t spend all of his time focusing on winning.
“I’m not one of those coaches that de-emphasizes it either, but I’m trying to define success that will allow these girls to have a positive experience,” he said. “It’s really about effort, skill improvement, individually and as a team.”
Fleming said he does demand a lot of the young athletes, but doesn’t judge success solely through winning and losing.
Becca MacDonnell, last year’s MVP on the team, has been continuing to improve and Fleming said she could likely play at the university level next year if she wants to.
“We have another three league games and another tournament coming up, so we’ll see what the second half of the season looks like,” he said.
Volleyball regionals are coming up in mid-November in Yarmouth. If AV ends up continuing to perform well and finishes in the top two slots, they’ll be heading to the Valley Volleyball League finals, which they placed second in last year.
“We’ve got a good group of girls and I think they’re very comfortable with each other,” he said. “They don’t play tight or inhibited, they trust each other and enjoy playing with each other.”
