Selkirk College Saints women's volleyball team began try-outs this week with about a dozen girls battling hard for spots on the squad.
"So far it's pretty promising. We have a lot of talent, a lot of local talent that came out. It's going to be good," said Shauna Barisoff who is returning for her second year of coaching the Saints. "We have a few tall girls who are really agile as well. They're going to be great blockers. I look forward to seeing them progress. We have some hard hitters and some really good passers as well."
Barisoff said it's challenging for the team to hold on to players since Selkirk College is a two year institute and a lot of students take only one year of upgrading.
Some of the players expected to lead the Saints this year include local players Stesha Amos, Alicia Dodds, and Teal McFarland, who came to Castlegar from Winnipeg.
"I liked the thought of coming to B.C. I had some offers in Alberta and Manitoba but the outdoors and mountains brought me here," said McFarland, who plays middle blocker. "I talked to Shauna (coach Barisoff) and she let me know of the scholarship opportunities here. I'm very excited about the season. It should be good."
The team plays in the Pacific Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (PIVA), which consists mainly of club teams from American universities. The first action for the Saints will be on Oct. 22 when the club travels to Gonzaga University in Spokane for a tournament.
The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday and will be holding coed reverse 4's on Monday evenings that will be open to the public.
The Saints' mens team is also practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is looking for some players.
Also coming up soon at Selkirk College is an indoor soccer that will run Wednesdays and Sundays.