Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) made an unforgettable first impression at a provincial beach volleyball tournament in Winnipeg, bringing home a gold medal in their debut appearance.
PCI entered several junior varsity (JV) and varsity teams into the beach volleyball championships, but among the highlights was a junior varsity girls’ team that took home gold, beating out several schools of seasoned squads from across the province.
"I believe there were close to 70 teams overall," said head coach Braden Schrader.
"Even just making it to the championship bracket was our goal. To have one of our teams win gold, and for it to be our first time at this tournament, that's incredibly exciting."
The winning JV girls' team was made up of Grade 9 students Laura Pynn and Olivia Loewen, along with Grade 10 twins Colette and Amelie Thess. Despite their relative inexperience with beach volleyball, the group gelled quickly and executed their game plan.
"I did not think we were going to come out on top," said Pynn. "We thought Winnipeg teams who've been playing together for years would beat us, but it just felt really crazy when we won gold."
Loewen echoed Pynn, expressing pride in her teammates.
"It's super crazy, especially because PCI had never even entered a beach team before. Everyone had their strengths, and it really helped us get the win in the end."
Twin sisters Colette and Amelie Thess were grateful to share the court together.
"We've played sports together for forever, so we know each other really well," said Amelie. "It just felt right to go out there as a team and see what we could do."
Colette admitted the victory was unexpected.
"I knew we were a good team, but going against teams who've played club and trained a lot longer, it just felt really cool to win."
With this year's success, PCI is already thinking ahead.
"We're definitely looking forward to going back next year," Schrader said. "Now that we've had a taste of success, I think the students are even more motivated."
For these student athletes, it's more than just a win, it's a foundation.
"I love playing with these girls," said Colette. "We've had so much fun, and I can't wait to keep playing basketball, volleyball, and beach together."
As PCI reflects on this golden start, it's clear the school's beach volleyball program has a promising future, and a tight-knit team ready to defend the title.
