Clark Fork Junior Volleyball Club wraps up successful spring season
The 2024 CFJVBC U16 team. Back row, from left, coach Leslie Kiebert, Tazeray Minic, Kayla Swales, Amie Matteson, Aurora Lane, Nora-Jean Hoy and coach Brocklynn Thornton. Front row, from left, Kiylah Anderson, Rebecca Heilman, Keira Gannon and Piper Scarlett. Not pictured, Azlyn Anderson.
The 2024 CFJVBC U14 team. Back row, from left, Gracie Stevens, Vanessa Rogier, Brooklyn Keller, Gracie Thompson, Kourtney Rogier, Gemma Lightfoot-Wood and coach Michelle Adams. Front row, from left, Avery Aumick, Hannah Raynor, Sophie Pizzini, Molly Adams and Elyssa Raynor.
The Clark Fork Juniors Volleyball Club wrapped up a successful season at the 2024 Evergreen Regionals held April 20-21 in Spokane. This year, the club fielded two teams: one in the U14 age division and one in the U16 division.
The U14 team was made up mostly of younger athletes who could have qualified for U12 tournaments but chose to play up for valuable experience.
"This group of girls is so fun to watch," CFJVBC Club Director Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey said. "They embody all the things that are most fun about the sport: high energy, positive team culture and a hunger to keep getting better."
The U16 team ended the season with a win in their regionals bracket, and also saw a fifth place finish at the Shamrock Showdown in March.
"Our older girls grew a lot this season in mental toughness," Kiebert-Carey said. "They set a great example for our younger athletes about what it means to commit to getting better in the off-season."
CFJVBC is a member of USA Volleyball's Evergreen Region. The club offers a chance for volleyball players from across the community (including one athlete from Noxon, Mont., this season) to keep honing their skills year-round, while also leaving room for them to participate in spring sports. The program aims to be affordable, and leans on community donations to make that possible.
"I want to thank our club volleyball families and coaches for their commitment to the program. It isn't easy getting a 5 a.m. start and then spending whole days in packed gymnasiums," Kiebert-Carey said. "But we've seen over the years how valuable this experience is for our school volleyball programs, and how much fun the girls have making memories together."
The 2024 CFJVBC U14 team. Back row, from left, Gracie Stevens, Vanessa Rogier, Brooklyn Keller, Gracie Thompson, Kourtney Rogier, Gemma Lightfoot-Wood and coach Michelle Adams. Front row, from left, Avery Aumick, Hannah Raynor, Sophie Pizzini, Molly Adams and Elyssa Raynor.