Sumner grows into new role for Vikings
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Grady Sumner’s versatility has been on full display this year.
From playing libero for the Brandon Volleyball Club to middle blocker with the Vincent Massey Vikings, the Grade 11 student adjusted much more quickly than most to a growth spurt and position change.
He was five-foot-10 last spring, but jumped to six-foot-one over the summer. He tried out for Massey’s varsity team as an outside hitter, but settled into a middle role and thrived last weekend, pushing his team to a Viking Classic title on Saturday.
Vincent Massey’s Grady Sumner has shifted from libero to middle blocker for his Grade 11 season. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“It was a pretty big adjustment. I tried out for this team as a left side because my passing was getting better and I really like to hit, so it worked out that they needed a few middles,” Sumner said.
“I’ve been getting pretty good at closing blocks thanks to the two middle coaches (former Brandon University Bobcats Bryston Keck and Paycen Warkentin). That really helped.”
Keck assumed head coaching duties for the weekend while regular bench boss Rylan Metcalf became a father. The team won 11 sets, dropping just one in the preliminary round to earn the No. 2 seed for the playoffs.
They swept the Elton Sabres in the semifinals, then dropped the Neelin Spartans 2-0 in the final.
“There was motivation to get it done for (Metcalf),” Sumner said. “It was a little bit trickier without having a few speeches but Big Dawg (Keck) was able to step in with those speeches for us.”
Sumner certainly isn’t the only Viking hungry for success, even though the team has been feasting on opponents like they’re Thanksgiving turkeys all year.
Massey won St. Paul’s High School’s event on the first weekend of October to leap up to No. 1 in the AAAA provincial rankings.
Charlie Gauthier, centre, and the Vincent Massey Vikings celebrate a point during the Viking Classic final on Saturday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
The team is back against the best in Manitoba at the River City Classic this Friday and Saturday, and you can bet they won’t wait until the weekend to bring the intensity in the gym.
“I treat every practice like it’s a hard practice because you’ve got to fight for every single minute you get,” Sumner said.
“I think all of our middles are pretty close in comparison, so I play every practice to try to get myself on the court.”
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com