New beach volleyball league lures top players to Calgary
'All the best players in Alberta' signed up, says former national team member
A new beach volleyball league has been established in Calgary and it has drawn top-tier talent to battle it out this winter.
The National Beach Volleyball League (NBVL) was founded by Calgarian Ben Saxton, a Canadian beach volleyball Olympian.
It began operating out of Vancouver last year, and expanded to Calgary this January.
The local league is comprised of four teams that train and compete at The Beach YYC, the city's only indoor beach volleyball facility.
- Watch a bit of the league's action in the video above.
Players were selected through an open draft in November. Player Jarron Mueller says that an appetite for the sport was evident throughout the process.
He told CBC News that the draft attracted high-level athletes, including Team Canada members, who were eager for a chance to play throughout the year.
"All the best players in Alberta all signed up, and it was really cool to see international players … coming into Calgary and playing. So that's what's really special about this league," said Mueller, a former national team member.
Local arena eases logistical challenges
League members say the enthusiasm also comes from finally being able to train and compete at home.
Claire Crossfield is a player who was drafted to the NBVL by the Calgary Beach Volleyball Association.
She says that before the league began at The Beach YYC, she took a year off from volleyball because the logistics of travelling to train were too difficult.
"There was no opportunity for me to continue," Crossfield said.
"So this is incredible to have a place [where] my friends and family can come and see. It's high-level ball, and it's a lot of fun."
Some of the league's aspirations are to make the sport more accessible and to sharpen local talent, Mueller and Crossfield told CBC News.
That the volleyball community is tight-knit, Mueller says, is a large bonus.
"It's really a great experience to be able to play with all the people around here," Mueller said.
"There's so many people that love the sport, so being able to share that with them … it's really been a dream come true."
The league's semi-final and final games will be hosted at The Beach YYC on Feb. 16 and 23, respectively.
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story said there were two men's teams and two women's teams. In fact, the local league is comprised of four teams — each made up of two men and two women. Generally men play men and women play women from each team but they occasionally play in co-ed pairs.Feb 20, 2020 12:33 PM MT
With files from Terri Trembath