The Chatham-Kent community will get the chance to experience volleyball at the highest level both on and off the court this weekend.
The Ontario University Athletics (OUA) league represents the highest level of volleyball played in the province. With no university in town aspiring players and volleyball lovers usually have to travel to London or Windsor to take in the game they love, but that will change this Saturday.
The women's teams from Western University and the University of Windsor will be showcasing their talents in Chatham for the first time in five years.
"This event brings elite athletes from around Canada to Chatham to showcase their skills, and give our local youth players a vision of what they can aspire to achieve as athletes," said Western Volleyball Head Coach, Melissa Bartlett.
Bartlett, a Chatham native herself, said there are two reasons the event will be hosted in the area. "First it is a great geographic midpoint for our two universities, but secondly and the primary reason being our connections to the Chatham-Kent area and sport community," she said. She added that the St. Clair Healthplex is an ideal facility to host the match and that they came on board immediately.
Bartlett noted that before the match skills clinics will be held for local athletes to participate in. "Local players will get to be active on court, receiving feedback from and seeing the skills modelled by our current players, before watching them compete later on in the day," she said.
Bartlett said she's both excited and proud to be able to bring OUA-level volleyball home. "Being from Chatham is something I have always been proud of. Whether competing with CKSS, or the local club Chatham Ballhawks, I was always proud of the success we were able to have as a small community," she said.
"It is really meaningful for me to come back to the town where I started teaching and coaching, to be able to put on this showcase and share the sport, team, and program that I love with others who have meant so much to my own development as a player, person, and coach," Bartlett concluded.
Bartlett has been the head coach for Western Volleyball for 11 seasons. Her assistant coach for 10 of those seasons is her father Randy Bartlett, who is a member of the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame as coach and builder, former club president and coach of local Chatham Ballhawks Volleyball club, and former coach and teacher at CKSS.
The game takes place at the St. Clair Healthplex at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Doors open at 2:45.
Two skills clinics will occur earlier in the day. The first, which is for setters and attackers, runs from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The second, featuring serving and first contact skills, goes from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
