15U Synergy Takes Silver!!
On November 25th, 15U Brant Tornadoes-Synergy traveled to Chatham for the Provincial Cup Tournament. The team had a strong morning, finishing first in their pool by beating our sister team, Brant Tornadoes-Vortex in a tough 3 set match, and Chatham Ballhawks Flight.
In the quarter finals, the team kept up their winning ways by defeating the St. Thomas Express Rockets 25-20, 25-20 to move on to the semifinals, then winning against KW Predators 25-22, 25-20 to move on to the finals.
In the Gold Medal match, the team went up against the SC Bandits Select Team, eventually losing but still coming out with an impressive silver medal to start the season!! Congratulations to the team…great day overall…they had fun, they focused, and they finished!!
GOLDEN AWARD FOR OFFENSE- Diya Grewal
GOLDEN AWARD FOR PUTTING PLAY INTO PRACTICE- Megan Reeder
GOOD AWARD FOR HUSTLE – Meara Vezsenyi
Pool play:
W vs Brant-Vortex 25-14, 18-25. 15-8\
W vs Chatham Ballhawks Flight 25-23, 25-16
Playoffs:
Quarter finals: W vs St. Thomas Express Rockets 25-20, 25-20
Semifinals: W vs KW Predators Elite 25-22, 25-20
Finals: L vs SC Bandits Select Team 14-25, 11-25
15U Aftershock takes 4th Place!
The Brant Tornadoes-Aftershock team had an excellent showing in their first tournament of the year, at the Provincial Cup held at Holy Trinity High School in Simcoe!
They won both their matches after the lunch break to put themselves in the semifinals.
Despite a loss they played for bronze against a tough Defensa team who they had faced earlier in pool play. They got behind early in the match and clawed their way back, but it wasn’t enough to take a set.
Congratulations to the team on a great 4th place finish! Go Aftershock!!
16U Girls Take Silver!!
On November 11th, the 16U Brant Tornadoes traveled to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the Provincial Cup Tournament. The team had a strong morning and finished first in their pool. After lunch, the team kept on with their momentum and played hard to earn their spot in the Gold Medal game against Smash Raiders Crush. Although putting up a good fight, the team eventually lost to the Hamilton team in 3 sets (21-25, 25-20, 7-15) and came home with a silver medal. Congratulations to the team on an awesome start to the season!
Pool play:
W vs Norfolk Chaos Rush 25-18, 25-23
W vs Niagara Rapids Synergy 25-20, 25-18
Playoffs:
W vs Norfolk Chaos Warriors 25-21, 25-10
W vs Grimsby Vipers Apex 21-25, 25-20, 15-12
L vs Smash Raiders Crush 21-25, 25-20, 7-15
18U Girls Take Bronze!!!
On November 11th, the 18U Girls traveled to Thorold for the Provincial Cup Tournament, culminating in a third-place finish!!! Congrats!!
Pool play:
L vs Georgetown Impact 23-25, 21-25
W vs Niagara Rapids Dynamite 27-25, 21-25, 15-12
Playoffs:
W vs Ancaster Lions Pride 25-27, 26-24, 15-6
W vs Grimsby Vipers 26-24, 21-25, 16-14
L vs Hamilton Smash Bolt 15-25, 19-25
W vs Niagara Rapids Rush 25-18, 25-16
From left to right…
Front row: Scarlette Roney, Kate Slater, Kelsea Peckham
Back row: Megan Hunt, Kim Nicholson, Taya Melanson, Grace Sargla, Lizzy Woodhouse, Reese Ireland, Rick Beedham
BYVC Spirit Wear Now Available!!!
Check out BYVC merchandise you’ll be proud to wear or give as gifts. For Youth AND Adults!!
We have T-shirts, Fleece Crews, Hooded & Regular Sweatshirts, Backpacks and More!! You can add your Name and/or Number to most items!!
It’s easy to order through our online store!!!
Click here or in the menu to see all the selections: Brant Youth Volleyball Club Spirit Wear 2023
Fall/Winter Developmental Programs are almost Full!!!
A number of our Developmental Programs have already met capacity. To view the programs available, along with details and scheduling click HERE.
If you have any question, please email admin@byvc.ca.
Coaches Wanted!!
Are you interested in being part of the Brant Youth Volleyball family?
Weekly or twice-weekly coaching opportunities available.
Volunteer hours available for highschoolers!!
Make a difference in the youth of Brantford-Brant and apply today!!
We are looking for volunteers for:
- Competitive Head Coaches
- Competitive Assistant Coaches/Practice Helpers
- Developmental Stream Coaches
Learn more about our volunteer programs or apply here: Volunteer – Brant Youth Volleyball Club (byvc.ca)
North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Coach Spotlight
Zandra is our U15 Vortex Head Coach and from Constance Lake First Nation! Zandra is the head coach for Team Ontario’s U16 girls Volleyball Team at the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax this week!
Team Ontario won against Team Yukon and Team Haudenoseaunee!
Team Ontario will be playing Eastern Door and the North tomorrow Thursday at 11:30 am AST or 10:30 am EST. You can watch the livestream of NAIG. (Live stream of sports off naig website is free. If live stream comes up with payment option it is not naig and a hack website)
BYVC is proud of Zandra!
GO! TEAM O! GO!
We will be cheering for you this week, good luck!
North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Athlete Spotlight
Nikina is a former BYVC athlete and from Constance Lake First Nation! Nikina is number 3 on Team Ontario’s U19 girls Volleyball Team at the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax this week!
Team Ontario won against Team Eastern Door and the North (EDN) and Team Nunavut!
Nikina will be playing on the University of Guelph women’s volleyball team this upcoming season!
BYVC is so proud of you!! We will be cheering for you this week, good luck!
Ontario Volleyball Association Recognizes 3 BYVC Coaches
The Ontario Volleyball Association held their Annual OVAtion Awards Banquet on Saturday June 3 at Bingeman’s Conference Center in Kitchener. Three coaches from the Brant Youth Volleyball Club were honoured for distinguishing themselves by providing their time, effort and support to the promotion and development of volleyball in Brantford and the province.
(Pictured from left to right…Rick Beedham, Sandy Beedham, Andrew Advincula)
Rick Beedham was one of three people from across the province to be presented with the Diane Wood Special Achievement Award. This award is presented to recognize an outstanding contribution to volleyball at the provincial level for 15 years or more. Rick, who is one of the co-founders of the Brant Youth Volleyball Club, was recognized for his contribution to the local volleyball community via his roles with the BYVC in their competitive and developmental programs for both indoors and outdoors. In addition, he has been involved with the summer regional program as a coach and treasurer for Region 3 of the OVA.
Sandy Beedham, who is the other co-founder of the Brant Youth Volleyball Club, was one of three people from across Ontario to be inducted into the OVA’s Hall of Fame in the Builder Category. To be eligible for this award, an individual must serve for a minimum of 20 years and have made significant contributions in multiple roles. In addition to her 25 year career as a competitive stream coach with the BYVC, she was also recognized for her involvement at the local elementary and high school level, the OVA regional program and the International Children’s Games (10 years). Over the years she has mentored many young athletes in both high school and club volleyball and encouraged them to be the best they can be. This has resulted in the BYVC having a significant number of alumni on our current coaching staff. In addition, two BYVC alumni are currently professional head coaches at schools in the USA.
Andrew Advincula was presented with a Recognition Award for his involvement in the sport of volleyball for a minimum of 5 years. So far in his career, he has been involved with BYVC in both the competitive and developmental programs as a coach in the indoor and outdoor streams. He is also a certified referee and has officiated high school, OVA and OUA and OCAA matches. He recently became certified as a beach official.
Many thanks to our Coaches for all they do for the sport and especially for BYVC!!!
U18s at Nationals –
Earlier this month, our BYVC 18U team finished off their season and for some, finished off their club volleyball careers, representing Brantford-Brant at the Volleyball Canada National Championships in Calgary, AB.
The team came into the tournament in Division 3, seeded 15/32 in their division.
The tournament started with a practice day on May 17th – where the girls were required to become quickly accustomed to the facility, the Olympic Oval.
After a good practice, the girls were fired up to make their mark in Calgary.
On Day 1, the team had a slow start dropping the first set of the tournament (20-25) but showed fight to take the 3-set victory over Park Girls 18U (Edmonton, AB). The second game was another slow start, and despite the Tornado effort, the team came up short in a 2-set loss to the resilient and disciplined defense of Apex Xplosion (Vancouver, BC). The team finished their day and improved their match record to 2-1 when they defeated the QCVC Royal Purple (Regina, SK) in a hard fought 2-set victory. It was a bittersweet day because despite their 2nd place finish in the pool, the team knew that they were able to play more efficiently. Their goal was to continue with the momentum into Day 2 working as a solid unit.
Results:
W vs. Park Girls: 2-1 (20-25, 25-11, 15-5)
L vs. Apex Xplosion: 0-2 (24-26, 21-25)
W vs. QCVC Royal Purple: 2-0 (25-12, 25-21)
On Day 2, The team was re-pooled and came in as the 4th seed in their pool. The Power Pools of Day 2 were not kind to the Brant Tornadoes. After a quick loss in the first set (14-25) of the day to Bandits (Winnipeg, MB), the team seemed to be playing distracted and defeated. During the second set, outside hitter, Quinn McLeod sustained a tournament-ending ankle injury. She would be out for the rest of the tournament, but thanks to the determination and flexibility of the team, namely Lucia Ausman, who had to make the quick transition from Right Side to Outside Hitter, the team was able to put up a good fight to come back but ultimately lost to the Bandits in the second set (24-26) too. The team and the coaches needed to adapt quickly and made some changes to position the team but unfortunately, the team lost their second match of the day in 3 sets to the Jr. Cascades Summit (Abbotsford, BC); they put up a good fight but just were not able to finish. Finally, the team would not be able to take a set off their next opponents either and lost in 2 sets to LVC Kodiaks (Lethbridge, AB). With a 0-3 match record of the day, the team was moved to D3T2 for Playoffs.
Results:
L vs. Bandits: 0-2 (14-25,24-26)
L vs. Jr. Cascades Summit: 1-2 (12-25, 25-22, 14-16)
L vs. LVC Kodiaks: 0-2 (23-25, 12-25)
The team went into Day 3 feeling supported and encouraged by their fans back in Ontario. Thanks to the livestreaming of Kelly Lawlor, our fans at home were able to follow along on this very important, last day of Nationals.
The first match was against JCVC Crossfire (Saskatoon, SK). The tornadoes were determined and came out strong to advance to the semi-finals. The team was playing a little more efficiently but needed to be on their A-game if they wanted to be in medal-contention.
Results: W vs. JCVC Crossfire: 2-0 (25-16, 25-18)
Their semi-final match was against IVC, the provincial team of Prince Edward Island. The girls played hard but IVC beat us to the punch with some strong right-side attacks. The second set, the girls needed to leave it all on the court. After having been down 13-20 in the second set, the girls were able to rally to come back to 21-22. However, IVC had a more consistent game and eventually defeated BYVC, 25-22. This ended the tournament for the team.
Results: L vs. IVC: 0-2 (19-25, 22-25).
The coaching staff is proud of the tenacity of the team, to be able to overcome and rally to not go down without a fight. To the athletes who are graduating and moving on, thank you for choosing to play your last season with the Brant Tornadoes. It was a pleasure to have coached and have gotten to know such a group of talented young athletes like no other.
The team finished the tournament tied for 3rd in Division 3, Tier 2. They improved their initial seeding from 15/32 to 11/32 in the division and from 79/152 to 75/152 in Canada. With this result, the team finished in the top half of the country.
BYVC Awards Banquet 2022-23 Indoor Season
The Brant Youth Volleyball Cub recently celebrated the end of their 25th indoor season in style with a banquet at the Polish Community Centre on Albion St. Over 200 athletes, family and guests enjoyed a catered meal which was followed by guest speakers and awards.
Guest speakers this year were Jonny and Danny Pickett from Wiarton, Ontario. Both are members of the men’s varsity team at the University of Guelph and operate 8×8 Beach Apparel. Jonny is also a gold medal winning beach athlete at the 2022 Canada Games, has represented Canada internationally on the beach and is both an OUA and CIS indoor all-star. They gave an inspiring and informative talk on how athletes from “small-town Ontario” can achieve their dreams and play at a high level.
Afterwards, presentations of awards commenced with the following athletes recognized for their performance this past season by being awarded the OVA Award of Excellence:
4v4 – Mya McGowan, Emmy Ellis
6v6 – Alexis Teet
TLS Synergy – Claudia Chudyk
TLS Vortex – Maryn Partridge
15 Select – Savannah Earle
15U – Victoria Chan
16U – Leah Richardson
17U – Lizzie Woodhouse
18U – Quinn McLeod
In addition, the following team awards were presented:
4v4 – Bridget Davies, Heart Award; Ada Rosebrugh, Hustle Award
6v6 – Alaina Fazari, Heart & Hustle Award; Megan Reeder, A.C.E. Award
TLS Synergy – Jordyn Andree, Coaches’ Award; Meara Vezsenyi, Heart & Hustle Award
TLS Vortex – Kiah Elmy, Coaches’ Award, Jenna Ugwu, Most Improved Award
15U – Callie Butler, Commitment & Heart Award; Amy MacMillan, Most Improved Award
15 Select – Olivia Walker, Heart & Hustle Award
16U – Alexis Ebert, MVP; Daniella Powell, Most Improved Award
17U – Scarlette Roney, Heart & Hustle Award; Kimberlee Nicholson, MVP Award
18U – Athena Hedley, MVP; Sarah Lawlor, MVP
Here’s a picture of all winners…
In addition, BYVC honored certain athletes with Major Awards…
Firstly, the Career Commitment Awards – presented to graduating players with minimum 5 years of playing with BYVC. From top-left going clockwise – Casey Logan (5 years), Anna Carter (7 years), Lucia Ausman (7 years), Athena Hedley (8 years).
And finally, BYVC presented Service Scholarships – given to graduating players who have made a significant contribution to BYVC by volunteering their time and assisting with other teams or developmental programs – From left to right…Athena Hedley, Anna Carter, Lucia Ausman.
Check out pictures from the event…
BYVC Year-End Banquet to Host Guest Speakers!!!
As the 2022-23 season is quickly coming to a close, Brant Youth Volleyball is finalizing plans for our year-end banquet. This year, the banquet, open to BYVC athletes, coaches and family, will be at the Polish Hall, 154 Pearl St, Brantford, ON on Monday, May 8th.
This year, we are excited to share that we’ll have some special guest speakers…Jonny and Danny Pickett!!!
Pictured Left to Right: Jonny Pickett, Danny Pickett.
Jonny has represented Canada on the beach for U21 in Thailand, represented Canada at FISU university games in Brazil, won the Calgary Open, bronzed at the Vancouver Open and won a Canada Games gold representing Ontario last summer. He has also represented Canada on the indoor court as part of the Junior National team, competing in Slovenia and Bulgaria.
Danny has been part of Team Ontario Beach, red shirted with the Windsor Lancers and is now a starting libero for the Guelph Gryphons. He is a setter who has been adopted as a libero, finishing his rookie year with the 9th most digs per set in the OUA. He has plans to continue his volleyball journey while studying Justice and Legal Studies at the University of Guelph.
Both are proud members of the University of Guelph Gryphons and proof that good players come from small and big towns alike, and you can succeed at the highest levels whatever team you play for or where you come from.
They will share some insights about life in elite sport, overcoming challenges, setting goals, being a Student Athlete and how they continue to pursue their goals of playing at the highest levels.
For further information please contact info@byvc.ca.
Brantford Sport Council, Sports Recognition Finalists and Winners for BYVC!!!
The Brantford Sports Council held its 17th annual awards and recognition celebration on Saturday at the Sanderson Centre, handing out awards to winners.
Founders Rick and Sandy Beedham were recognized by winning the George Jones Memorial Award – Lifetime Sports Volunteerism for their tireless dedication, passion, hard work and commitment to their sport community for over 25 years!!!
Rick and Sandy founded the Brant Youth Volleyball Club to give youth volleyball players in the Brantford-Brant community the opportunity to play and love the game. We are very fortunate that even today, 25 years later, we are continuing to see their direct and indirect impact on the greater volleyball community.
Congratulations to you both!!! Well-deserved recognition for everything that you have done and continue to do for our club and community.!!!
Also, congratulations to our Tina Hedley for being a finalist for The George Churchill Memorial Award. This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated commitment to volunteering for our athletes. Tina, our Club Administrator, is meticulous, conscientious, and unwavering in her support of the club and all its programs. While Tina was not a winner this year, she’s still a winner in our eyes!!!
Athletic Association of Brant, Haldimand & Norfolk Counties (AABHN) Finals
Brant Tornadoes were well represented Thursday night in the Athletic Association of Brant, Haldimand & Norfolk Counties (AABHN) Finals. The match saw Pauline Johnson CVS face off against St. John’s College but ultimately it was the undefeated St. John’s Eagles who took the title.
Congratulations to both teams and to our BYVC athletes: from PJCVS – Lizzy (17U) and Kelsea (17U). For SJC (pictured from L to R), Lucia, Sarah, Anna, and Quinn who are all from our 18U Tornadoes.
Best of luck to both PJCVS and SJC squads as they move on to represent their schools at CWOSSA in the AA and AAA divisions, respectively.