Prince Rupert’s third annual grass volleyball tournament was held on the courthouse grounds Saturday, June 10 during Seafest.
Eight teams from the city and surrounding area entered the competition where they played best-of-three set four-on-four games for the honour of being named the festival’s best volleyball squad.
The competition drew a small crowd as teams dug, set and spiked to the soundtrack and backdrop of the festival’s parade. The tournament was won by a Terrace team, who defeated local team No Diggity.
“The feedback from the participants was positive, and they said they had fun and enjoyed themselves at the tournament,” said organizer Nancy Le. “It was the most competitive year.”
Le said in previous years, the team’s entry fees went towards travel fees for the Charles Hays Secondary School (CHSS) volleyball team’s travel expense, but this year, they would be going towards a bursary being set up in the memory of Tuan Hoang.
The award will go to a CHSS student who shows strong leadership qualities through community involvement or school activities, has volunteered over 20 hours in the community, is enrolled in a post-secondary institution and has been a volleyball player for at least two years at CHSS.
Hoang, who was a local standout volleyball player in Prince Rupert, died in a car crash in 2014. Le says watching Hoang and other older athletes play volleyball during previous Seafest tournaments is what inspired her to take up the sport.
Le has volunteered and coached in the community since Toang passed away and said she wanted to do something meaningful for him.
“I think it is very fitting as he was very encouraging when it came to my post-secondary studies,” she said. “He told me that I was lucky to be in university and he wished he had that opportunity too. So why not create a volleyball bursary in memory of Tuan?”
Le said she hopes the bursary can be an ongoing, annual award in the future.
“I know Tuan would be very happy if he knew we are doing something like this for him and the youth,” she said.