Every Tuesday, more than 50 people bump, set and spike their evening away at the Columneetza gym as members of the Williams Lake Volleyball League.
It’s a winter tradition that’s been enjoyed in the lakecity for upwards of 30 years and is still holding traction with members of the sporting community in the city, despite a decrease in interest at young age groups.
Shelley Desautels started playing in the league, which runs through the city’s Recreation Services Department, when she was 15 years old, and is now its facilitator.
“We’ve got seven teams this year, and we do have a couple high school kids who play,” Desautels said of the league, which begins its season in October and runs until March.
The WLVL is currently in the midst of playoffs, which began Tuesday with quarterfinals and continue next Tuesday, March 6 with semis, followed by finals on Tuesday, March 13 in a double knockout format.
Starting at 7 p.m. each week, six games take place across three separate time slots on two courts in the gym. Even a team from 100 Mile makes the trek north to Williams Lake every Tuesday to participate in the league.
Desautels — a player in the league herself — said volleyball was one of her favourite sports growing up, which she continued enjoying as a coach at the high school level for many years following her playing career.
“I grew up here in Williams Lake and playing here where the sport was pretty popular,” she said. “I think the big attraction is you can play it until you’re pretty much any age and still be competitive.”
The league also puts together travelling tournament teams, which have played at events in 100 Mile House and a large tournament held annually in Merritt each year.
“That’s a big one,” Desautels said of the Merritt tournament. “They have an awesome tournament with men’s, ladies’ and mixed divisions.”
In years past, Desautels said the WLVL housed up to 12 teams.
“It’d be nice to see more of it at the younger age groups,” she said, noting she hopes to drum up some more interest in the league for years to come.
“I’d love to see new people, or new people moving here to town come out to play.”
If anyone is intersted in finding out more about the WLVL they can contact Desautels at asdes07@shaw.ca.
