The dynamic duo of Danielle Groenendijk and Matt Brandsma earned Duncan Christian School’s first medal ever in beach volleyball, taking silver in Tier 2 of the Grade 11/12 boys division at the Island championships in Parksville on June 4.
Groenendijk, a Grade 11 girls player, and Brandsma, a Grade 10 boy, nearly qualified for Tier 1 after a hotly contested round-robin, finishing with a win, a loss and a split with the second-place pair in their four-team pool. The first- and second-place teams went on to Div. 1, while the next two teams played for the Tier 2 title.
In the Tier 2 playoffs, Groenendijk and Brandsma defeated Timberline 21-15, 19-21, 15-3, and Vic High 21-18, 21-19, coming from behind in both sets against Vic High. DCS faced Pacific Christian in the Tier 2 final, falling 23-21, 21-17.
Groenendijk was also selected last month to play for Team BC this summer, and will head to Thompson River University in Kamloops for intense training beginning July 1, in preparation for the National Team Challenge Cup at the Richmond Oval on July 13-17.
Also representing Duncan Christian at the beach volleyball Island tournament were Grade 11 students Mike Brandsma and Malachi Wall. They also played some strong volleyball and wrapped with a win over Timberline to finish tied for fifth in Tier 2.