A local 17-year-old volleyball player will have the opportunity to play on the national stage.
The best Canadian high school volleyball players will compete at the Inaugural Biosteel All Canadian Girls Volleyball Game this weekend at the University of Toronto. Grunthal’s Sienna Driedger is one of them.
"I found out I was kind of being considered for it but didn't know I'd been selected until a few weeks later, and I got the email while I was in class,” Driedger recalls, adding that she was in ELA class.
The Grade 11 student from Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) is an outside hitter for the girls' varsity volleyball team. She also plays for the Jr. Bisons club team.
Driedger has been playing volleyball since grade seven and has “taken every opportunity” that comes her way. With that, she says her love for the sport has not stopped growing, and now, she will share her passion with the country.
There are 24 players selected for the U17 game, and to her, the opportunity is “special and exciting.”
“I was super excited. It's a bit of a big deal for me, and I thought it was a really special opportunity because there are so many girls they could have picked. There's so many phenomenal athletes in Canada. And so, I was thrilled for the opportunity and super grateful to be selected,” she says.
Heading into the games, she is feeling a mix of emotions.
“I am honestly a little nervous, and not totally sure what to expect, but again, super excited. I know it'll be so cool to experience that and playing a high-level game like that with some of the best volleyball players in Canada. I can't be fully sure what it will be like, but I know it'll be amazing,” she explains.
Throughout her athletic journey, she has learned many lessons. However, a quote a university coach shared with her has stuck.
"Live free, play free,” she recalls. “That has really stuck with me because it just talks about how you can't tie your identity to wins and losses because then you're playing with everything to lose. So, when I step on the court, I don't want to be playing for me, I want to be playing for my team and most importantly, the Lord. Whether I win or lose, I want to glorify him and represent him and play for the people around me rather than just playing for myself because I think that adds a lot of pressure that isn't always healthy.”
The U17 Biosteel All-Canadian Girls Inaugural Volleyball Game kicks off on Saturday, June 3, at 12 PM (Manitoba time) and will be streamed online.