CARSTAIRS-DIDSBURY - High schools in Didsbury and Carstairs will be joining forces once again to host a huge 16-team volleyball tournament.
The 6th annual Hugh Sutherland (Carstairs) Kodiaks and Didsbury Dragons senior girls' invitational volleyball tournament goes Sept. 22 and 23.
The event features both local teams and teams from as far away as Fairview (600 kilometres northwest of Edmonton) and Coledale near Lethbridge.
Tournament organizer Henry Paulgaard said he expects some tough competition among the teams.
"We've got some of the top teams in the province coming," said Paulgaard. "Fairview is actually hosting AA provincials this year. We're pretty excited about that. We've got Spirit River, the defending AA champions."
Paulgaard said the tournament started six years ago as a way to bring some of the top-end teams from across the province to this part of Alberta.
"We wanted to compete against them to see what it's like at that top level," he said. "It's a chance to see what other teams around the province are like. Normally teams from here don't get to see what Spirit River is like. They've been in the top four of the province for the past six years. So the only time they get to see them is in provincials. That's why it's good to bring all the teams together."
Most of the teams in the tournament are AA, although there are a few AAA teams and one A team. Olds High School is one of the AAA schools.
The teams are placed in four pools with four teams each. The top two teams will advance to the championship round, while the bottom two will advance to the consolation side.
Didsbury will be in pool C along with Our Lady of Mount Pleasant of Camrose, Kate Andrews High of Coaldale and Vegreville.
Hugh Sutherland is in pool A with Central Alberta Christian of Lacombe, Magrath and Spirit River.
Olds is in pool D with Three Hills, Vauxhall and Fairview.
Pool B consists of Acme, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir from Okotoks, Picture Butte and Ardrossan.
"We've got some of the top teams in the province coming."Henry Paulgaard
