It wasn’t easy, but Prince Albert’s Abby Wasutyk and Team Saskatchewan left the Canada Summer Games with a medal.
Saskatchewan defeated Manitoba 3-2 to claim bronze at the summer games in Newfoundland. Wasutyk said the experience of winning a medal left her “totally speechless.”
“I felt so beyond proud of myself and my teammates, and just relieved after everything we went through to get there,” the St. Mary alumnus wrote in an email to the Daily Herald. “We spent countless years and hours preparing for that very week and it was finally fulfilled.”
Winning the bronze medal wasn’t easy. After Saskatchewan took the first set 25-22, Manitoba rallied for a 25-15 win in set number two.
Saskatchewan regained the lead with a 25-19 victory in set three, but Manitoba rallied again to take set four 25-13. The two teams were tied at seven in the fifth and final set before Saskatchewan broke the game open for a 15-11 win.
“That match against Manitoba for the bronze was very intense, and very back and forth,” Wasutyk wrote. “However I think what really set us apart was our amazing bond. We’ve all played together for years in club and for provincial teams, and that closeness really showed. We always had each other’s backs on and off the court, which is something I think a lot of other teams didn’t.”
As close as the Manitoba match was, Saskatchewan’s semi-final clash with Ontario was even closer. Ontario took the match 3-1, but three of the four sets were decided by only two points.
Although they took the loss hard, Wasutyk said they were able to dig deep against Manitoba and bring back a medal.
“It stung because we weren’t going for gold anymore,” she wrote. “But we remembered that one of our main goals was playing for a medal, so we just focused on our next job and made sure to finish strong.”
The Canada Games is just one of many times Wasutyk has represented Saskatchewan. She said the experience always makes her proud.
“Growing up here means a lot to me,” she wrote. “I’m really thankful for all the amazing people I’ve met along the way. Representing Saskatchewan is super important to me because I want young girls that live in a smaller province like Sask, seen as the underdog sometimes to believe they can achieve their dreams too.
Wasutyk graduated from high school last spring, and is about to take the next step in her volleyball career. She’s committed to play for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, and is excited to start the next chapter.
“I can’t wait to play at the university level, meet new friends, and grow as an athlete and a person,” she wrote. “It feels like such an unbelievable opportunity, and I’m ready to embrace it.”
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
