St. Paul’s own Ryley Barnes fell in love with the sport of volleyball as a Racette Raider in Grade 6, and eight years later the 19-year-old is entering his second summer wearing red and white with the Canadian national junior team as they travel to Turkey for the World Championships in August.
“I started playing volleyball in Grade 6 and instantly fell in love with the sport. I played every year in junior high and when I got to high school (at St. Paul Regional) I played for our school team, and once that season ended I started playing club volleyball in Sherwood Park for Park Volleyball Club,” Barnes told the Journal in an email, adding that his first coach, Gisele Hall, was the one who helped him fall in love with the sport.
Barnes is now training with the national junior team in Gatineau, Que. until July 4, after which the team will relocate to Hamilton, Ont. for training. On July 12 the team will compete at the U21 Pan Am Cup in Costa Rica, then training will resume in Hamilton on July 25 until the team makes the trip to Turkey on Aug. 15 for the World Championships.
“That will be my first experience playing volleyball in a different continent so I am very excited,” he said, adding, the team is working hard to ensure they are in peak condition for the World Championships. “We are training twice a day on court as well as a weight session. It is a full-time commitment so I am not doing any schooling or working.”
Barnes’ dedication to volleyball flourished in high school, and in the summer following his Grade 11 year, Barnes met a family in Calgary who offered to help him get to the next level.
“I met a man named Rod Walsh and his son Brett Walsh from Calgary and they said they would be able to billet me at their house in Calgary for a year, so I took advantage of that offer and moved to Calgary for my Grade 12 year. These are the people that helped me get to the next level because the level of volleyball as well as the level of coaching was much higher in Calgary,” he said, adding, the tools he received in Calgary worked as a stepping-stone to the national stage.
“I'd like to thank the Walsh family, Rod, Karen and Brett Walsh for taking me in like a second son and helping me get to the next level.”
After graduating from Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School in Calgary, Barnes was accepted to the University of Alberta, where he began his post-secondary volleyball career with the Golden Bears.
Last year, Barnes started 22 matches with the Golden Bears, recording 167 kills, 13 aces, 42 blocks and 128 digs en route to a Canada West bronze medal and a fifth place finish at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships.
Last summer, Barnes represented Alberta’s U19 men’s provincial team at the National Team Challenge Cup, winning a bronze medal and being named to the all-star team in the process.
As a result of his performance, Barnes was selected to the Canadian national junior team. The following month Barnes traveled with the team to Colorado Springs for the NORCECA U21 Men’s Continental Championship, the first international event in Barnes’ career, featuring teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
“It felt pretty amazing being selected to the junior national team. Both times are equally as satisfying because it's been a lot of hard work paying off. I made some sacrifices to get where I am and I am very proud to be representing my country,” he said, adding that his family has played a vital role in his success. “I'd like to thank, first of all my parents, Kris and Joanne Barnes, and my sister, Kaylin Barnes, for all their support throughout everything. Not just volleyball. I wouldn't have gone anywhere without them.”
Barnes was a driving force behind Team Canada at the international tournament, and recorded 14 points in the championship match against the USA. Despite the strong showing from Barnes, Team Canada was narrowly defeated through four close sets and had to settle for silver.
Barnes was re-selected to the team this summer through a different process, as he was invited to a try-out session where he once against proved his court presence to the Canadian team coaching staff.
“This summer was a different selection process for the junior national team. There was a five-day tryout where coaches from the junior and senior national team observed and evaluated the players that would be selected to the team,” he said, adding, everyone is still vying for a starting slot on the roster.
“Last summer I started on the junior national team throughout all of the NORCECA Championship and this year we have not played in a tournament so the starting lineups are yet to be decided and everyone is still battling for a spot.”
Barnes added that he hopes his volleyball career is only beginning, as he aims to represent Canada on the highest stage possible in the coming years.
“My goal with volleyball is to play on the senior men's national team and represent my country at the highest level of volleyball,” he said. “I also would like to play professional volleyball somewhere in Europe where volleyball is very popular.”
