A new volleyball club was launched in Martinez this season, with the goal of giving local girls a greater competitive edge in this popular sport.
Soar Volleyball Club (SVC) has two teams, Under 14’s and Under 16’s, with 10 girls on each team. As a registered club with the Northern California Volleyball Association (NCVA), Soar is one of over 350 clubs now competing in the region, which also serves Northern Nevada.
Club Director and Under 16’s Coach Jeany Cave played college level volleyball and is passionate about the sport. She started the club in the spirit of wanting to provide an opportunity for junior high and high school age girls to play an advanced level of volleyball . The new club has been warmly welcomed by local families who have had to travel to surrounding cities to participate in this level of competition. Cave has also gone to great strides in making the club more affordable than most.
Soar holds two practices a week at and competes in one tournament a month from January through mid-June. The month of April brings one of the most exciting tournaments of the year, as the teams travel to Reno for the Far Western National Qualifier held at the Reno-Spark’s Convention Center. Over 750 teams travel to Reno yearly for this highly anticipated event.
Both teams have been successful serving up excitement at their respective tournaments. The Under 14’s team, coached by Amber Cole, has taken home 2nd, 3rd and 5th place rankings for their age group so far. The Under 16’s team have placed 4th, 5th and 6th in their division. On average 12 to 18 teams compete at the weekend tournaments. Coach Cave and Coach Cole, both Alhambra High School alums, are proud of this respectable showing, especially for a first year club.
Try-outs for the 2012 season will be held in November, check the website this fall for further information. The club is considering the possibility of expanding into boys volleyball for the 2012 season as well. Anyone interested in coaching, or playing for a boys under 16 division can contact Cave through the Soar website, or email Cave at jeany@soarvbc.com.
