Aldergrove鈥檚 Taryn Grandia鈥檚 volleyball career just got a major spike in the right direction.
The 17-year-old grade 12 St. John Brebeuf student got signed to Trinity Western University 鈥� the Spartans women鈥檚 team is currently ranked third in all of Canada.
Grandia told the Aldergrove Star that she鈥檚 been playing the sport for six years and got introduced to it by her parents who both played in college.
鈥淚 played in the Summer Games in 2016 and an assistant coach that I met there stayed in touch,鈥� she explained, eventually getting asked to show off her skills at a recent training session.
鈥淭he coach said he was going to call me later in the day and called that night saying he had fell asleep and forgot to tell me that I had made the team,鈥� Grandia laughed. 鈥淚鈥檓 like 鈥榟ow do you forget about something like that鈥�?鈥�
Though she won鈥檛 join the team until the fall of 2021, Grandia said she is very much looking forward to the opportunity.
鈥淚 love volleyball 鈥� I love the team dynamic and this really pushed me to go to Trinity,鈥� she said, adding she鈥檒l likely enroll in general studies for now.
鈥淚 know I probably won鈥檛 play for the first couple of years just because the team is so good, but I am looking forward to it,鈥� Grandia said.
She鈥檚 gotten to play on and off for most of 2020, noting that volleyball is thankfully not a contact sport and that she鈥檚 been diligent with staying apart and washing equipment.
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In that time, Varsity Letters, a provincial high school sports publication, named her as one of the top 15 players in B.C. 鈥� a title that she鈥檚 not quite sure how she obtained.
鈥淭he head coach asked for my photo for it and I wasn鈥檛 sure why,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I got it, I looked at honourable mentions and my name wasn鈥檛 there and so I thought I didn鈥檛 make it, but I actually turned out to be one of the 15.鈥�
When asked about the skills that may have put her on that list, Grandia pointed to her tall stature 鈥� six feet 鈥� and her strong serve.
鈥滻 hit a heavy ball which is hard to return,鈥� she humbly admitted. 鈥淚 am good in the back row and can hit from there, which a lot of people struggle to do, so maybe that鈥檚 why?鈥�
Grandia was quick to say volleyball is a team sport and she is looking forward to playing more in 2021.
鈥淚 want to stay positive and have fun and try my best,鈥� Grandia said.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@aldergrovestar.com
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