The summer before a student enters university is one spent in anticipation and excitement. Some students work while others travel or hang out at the beach. First-year volleyball player Abby Czenze spent her summer achieving life-long volleyball dreams, earning a place on Canada’s women’s junior national team.
Catching the eye of Team Canada
The selection process for the Canadian junior team took place July 18-22 at the National Team Challenge Cup in Winnipeg, which showcased the top 15 teams in the country. Team Nova Scotia had an unprecedented tournament, overcoming powerhouse squads from Ontario and British Columbia to finish in fifth place. The results were the best Nova Scotia has seen in over two decades.
Paramount to the success of the team was their starting setter and captain, Abby Czenze. On the first day she caught the attention of Team Canada scouts and by the end of the tournament, she had secured a position on the national roster. Not only did she make the team, she was chosen to be the captain as a result of her leadership and attitude during the tournament.
“As soon as he said I made the team my mouth dropped in shock,” says Czenze. “It was a really special moment for me, my coaches, and my teammates.”
Tigers head coach Rick Scott (who also coached Team Nova Scotia) says this is an outstanding accomplishment. “There hasn’t been a girl from Nova Scotia captaining the Canadian team in years. It’s amazing what she has been able to do.
Competing for Canada
Only hours after the tournament finished, Czenze and other national team members were on a bus headed for Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the USA High Performance Championship. They battled against 18 other highly skilled opponents, and in the end Abby led the team to an impressive sixth place finish.
It was another three full weeks of training with the Canadian squad in Winnipeg before she returned home to Nova Scotia in late August. During her time with Team Canada she brought her game to a new level and will look to apply what she has learned on the court this season.
Starting her Tigers career
Czenze is now focusing her efforts towards her studies in science and her first season representing ±«Óătv in the black and gold.
“I am so excited to start with Dal,” she says. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for almost a year now and I can't wait.”
The starts up their season hosting the Scotiabank Invitational, September 28-30. Be sure to follow Czenze and the rest of the Tigers this season in pursuit of an AUS championship.