Northeast Kings, which travelled to King’s-Edgehill School in Windsor for the first match of the season, first took on the host team and won 25-7 and 25-14. The girls’ volleyball team then faced off against the Central Kings squad for two hard-fought wins, with sets of 25-15 and 25-22.
For NKEC’s head coach Geoff Daniels, it was a great way to start the season.
“Generally our season starts rather slow – we are always struggling to plug players in and make sure everyone can be there the first couple games after only
The team is made up of a number of younger players, he added.
“We have a lot of very strong younger players and it was good to be able to put them in and have them come together pretty quickly,” he said. “The Axe volleyball club has been going for a number of years now, and these girls have been coming up through the system, so this is definitely the most talent that has come in. We’ve got a lot of young talent, looking good for the future for sure.”
The team is getting some veteran leadership from Kenzie Macintosh and Sylvie Lloyd, he said, who are expected to play some big minutes for NKEC this season.
The Titans are also getting some international help this year, he added. Matilde D’Ancona, an international student from Italy, is attending NKEC this year and brought years of playing experience from her home country. Anja Vavrikova, who is doing an exchange through Rotary International with the Kentville Rotary Club, is also attending NKEC this year. While she hasn’t played indoor volleyball before and is still learning the court positions, she’s had experience playing beach volleyball.
“Everyone did a good job but Matilde really showed that she had a lot of experience there – she’s played before and has really assumed a leadership role on the team, helped move some players around,” Daniels said.
He also had high praise for Sarah McDougal and Lauren Golding.
“I put them in in the setting position, which is probably the most challenging position, and they improved a lot. It’s very nice to see that,” he added.
NKEC next travels to Central Kings on Oct. 2 for a rematch with the Lady Gators and will also take on Avon View.
