Steinbach is playing host to some high-level volleyball this weekend with the U17 and U18 boys club volleyball provincial championships taking place at the Steinbach Regional Secondary School.

Bonnie Loewen is the Head Coach of the Providence Pilots U17 Boys teams. She says the tournament features five U18 teams and seven U17 teams. She notes teams have been training since January and competing for the last couple of months in preparation for the provincials.

Loewen says it is exciting to host the U17 and U18 boys provincials here in Steinbach and thanks the SRSS for their great facility.

"We have an awesome venue. We have two huge gyms, we have gathering spaces that are good for the kids to be a part of and that the event features the hard work that these kids have done for months. It is the highest level volleyball that these kids have experienced in their volleyball careers until now."

Loewen says the Providence Pilots Club program has been very successful here in the Southeast with approximately 100 athletes from U13 to U18 and both boys and girls.

"The unique opportunity that comes out of Providence is that on our team we have seven or eight communities represented, from Grunthal to Iles Des Chenes to St. Adolphe to all of these different regions. Kids get to play a sport they love alongside other kids who are at their level and who love the sport as much as they do and then they get to see how they can compete with other clubs who are doing the same."

Loewen says after the provincials are over their U17 team will be traveling to Saskatoon for nationals. She says the outcome of the provincial tournament will determine where they are placed going into the national tournament.

Loewen says there are also a number of other provincial club volleyball tournaments going on right now in across Manitoba for the various other age groups.