By Brendan McConnell
There aren’t many things better than seeing a familiar face when you’re away from home. But ask four female former Maverick Volleyball Club players and they’ll tell you there really is nothing else better than having three familiar faces on your team when competing for a gold medal at the Canada Summer Games.
Sophie Carpentier, Alix Durivage, Vicky Savard and newcomer Kaly Soro have all followed different paths since their time with the Mavericks, but have now come full circle to play together again for Team Ontario.
“It’s like nothing has changed,” says Sophie Carpentier, who began playing club volleyball with Durivage and Savard in Grade 11. “We might even be closer now than before because we’re four Ottawa girls, four French girls on the team, and I guess there’s something there that brings us together.”
Carpentier, who just finished her first year at B.C.’s Trinity Western University studying human services, has played on Team Ontario for three years now. Carpentier and Savard, a third-year Université de Montréal Carabin, are the relative veterans on the squad, with second-year uOttawa Gee-Gee Durivage joining a year later.
Soro, who just graduated from De La Salle high school, is heading to the Canada Games to wrap up her first summer on the provincial team.
“It’s really nice having people you know, girls you can go to because you’re familiar with them,” notes Soro, who will start her university career with the Gee-Gees this fall.
Past Mavs maintain close friendship
Despite being the youngest of the four, and not having the same history together that the other girls do, Soro receives praise as a valuable addition to the team from each of the other players. The older trio keep in touch often during their school years and even play matches against each other during the CIS volleyball season.
“Every summer it’s nice to see each other again and play together,” signals Durivage, a human kinetics student.
Now that they’re reunited, the girls plan to savour a moment they agree will last a lifetime.
“I remember when we were 16, they were telling us that we were the next group for the Canada Summer Games, and we didn’t really think about it,” recalls Savard, who studies teaching at U de M. “But this is really it. It’s hard to believe, but I can’t wait to be there and experience the whole thing.”
Carpentier, who won CIS bronze with TWU over the Gee-Gees this past spring, is equally enthused.
“All I’ve heard is that it’s probably going to be the best experience of my life,” says Carpentier, who’s also vying for a Team Canada spot through its development squad. “Hopefully it’s not going to be too overwhelming and we can still focus on what we’re there to do.”
In the weeks leading up to the tournament, Ontario played matches against Alberta and Manitoba, which showed them that the competition level this year is at an all-time high.
“You can tell the teams are working harder because the Canada Games only happen once every four years,” Durivage indicates.
Despite this, the Team Ontario girls have one result alone in mind.
“A gold medal finish, definitely,” asserts Soro.
A fifth Mavs alum, Jori Mantha – now a McMaster Marauder – will compete in the men’s volleyball event.