HCI grad Lindsey Larson has temporarily left behind the heat of El Paso, Texas, for Winnipeg to play volleyball with the B-team of Team Canada for the month of June.
Larson applied online for the spot and went to tryouts in Winnipeg, where eight girls out of about 30 were chosen for the team. Larson has also been able to train and scrimmage with the A-team. Though she has been playing competitive volleyball for a long time, that doesn’t mean that she knows everything about the game and notes the “top notch coaches” she gets to work with.
“I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here; it’s kind of ridiculous actually,” Larson said. “It’s a lot different playing in the States and coming back here … I’ve learned a lot of different techniques for setting.”
Other girls on the B-team are from all over Canada (appropriately for Team Canada), such as British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta. With such a wide variety of players, it stands to reason there would be different styles of playing, but Larson has managed to adjust. For example, British Columbia is a big volleyball province with faster players.
“For them, they run a lot of fast offense,” she said. “This is way different for me … It’s good for me because I learn all kinds of different sets.”
However, Larson describes herself as a physical player who is quick getting to the ball and can get high over the net.
Normally, the B-team would have the opportunity to travel and play, but this year the funding isn’t there so the girls on the team train with each other and the members of the A-team.
“I would say (the standout moment) was just the scrimmage overall against the A-team because it was a really big deal to me. I realized I was playing with the best players in Canada and playing at the highest level I could just then … it was an awesome experience,” she said.
On the last day of tryouts, the coach told her he wanted her on the team even though the tryouts weren’t done yet.
“It was awesome (to get the spot). I think I really had a shot when I tried out, but they had a lot of good players,” she said. “It was kind of a good feeling (making the team) because I was able to relax on the last day.”
Larson also appreciates being closer to home and being able to see friends and family.
“It’s good knowing I’m this close that if they wanted to come see me … they could come,” she said.
Larson has two years left of her civil engineering degree while also playing on the university team. She just got her travel schedule for the year, which includes Florida and Kentucky.
After college, she hopes to make the A-team, which is invitational. From there, she hopes to find a contract overseas to play.
“It’s always been my dream to play after college,” she said.
