Short Serves - Wanda Brenton (Griffen)

Wanda Brenton (Griffen)

Wanda Brenton (Griffen) may have left one island for another much further south, but volleyball is still a major part of her life. A graduate of Herdman Collegiate in 1992 has found her way to the Cayman Islands, just south of Cuba. She is now employed as a teacher at Montessori by the Sea.

Wanda has had her share of volleyball experiences as an indoor player as her Herdman Huskies captured the Winter Games Gold in 1990 and a 4A Title in 1992. She also was a member of the 1993 Canada games team that travelled to Kamloops, BC under direction of Karen Murphy. Wanda later followed her high school coach, Sue Stevenson, to play University ball at St. FX. The trained setter, also played at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, BC for one year and went to Nationals in Grand Prairie as a Libero.

Since moving to the Cayman Islands, Wanda was a member of the their National Indoor team that participated in the First Round of the 2006 Women's World Championships in Jamaica. Although her love for the indoor game is still there, her court time is mostly spent on the beach.

She just participated in an AVP Tour competition in Miami, Florida and will be travelling to Rhodes, Greece, to participate in the World Island Games. She plans to travel throughout the United States after the World Island Games competing in other AVP qualifying events. Wanda comments that " The AVP is very different than what I'm used to playing...it's the best of the best there!! But we'll get there on day...I have faith!" The National program in the Cayman Islands for beach is just developing. We had 2 coaches come from Montreal - one being an International player - Eric "T-Bone" Masson. He has really helped us along our journey. He's worked with many top level athletes as well as coaches. He knows this game inside out!! We also had a coach come from Miami who has helped us too. He has been in Columbia and Brazil. My husband also had the opportunity to go to Brazil earlier this year to become a certified beach coach. While there he met a lady who coaches a team on the AVP. He got some great information from her....so every little bit has helped develop the team thus far!

Wanda's favourite volleyball moment has been playing in an AVP Qualifying Event but she hopes she has a new favourite moment qualifying for the AVP Tour. She tells young Newfoundland volleyball enthusiasts to " Keep training hard, keep focusing on the goal and believe you can do it!! "