By Morinville News Staff
Morinville – Canada’s largest high school volleyball tournament will return to Morinville Community High School (MCHS) Oct. 17 to 20. The Lions’ Western Canadian Challenge will assemble 48 teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to compete on five volleyball courts, three in Morinville and another two in St. Albert.
“There are two other tournaments that are the same size (one in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba), but none larger,” said MCHS Principal Todd Eistetter in a release on the tournament. “The competition is strong and the level of play is outstanding.”
Opening matches for the boys and girls divisions will be played at MCHS. It is anticipated more than 600 spectators will come out once again for the opening matches.
“We are ready to host the over 500 athletes and coaches that will be here, along with all their supporters,” Eistetter said. “This is a big event and it creates a significant amount of excitement. There are a number of teams that are repeat participants and this tournament has an outstanding reputation for excellence.”
Like basketball and track and field, volleyball is a big sport at MCHS. The school feels the Lions’ Western Canadian Challenge captures MCHS’ strong school spirit and support of the community. “This is a growing sport and worldwide volleyball is second to soccer among participation sports,” Eistetter explained. “It has been indicated that globally there are more than 800 million people who play volleyball.”
