There is plenty of home cooking on the horizon for one of Canada's top volleyball players.
Tsawwassen's Lucy Charuk learned she will be spending much more time back in her home province after Volleyball Canada announced the women's national team will be based out of the Richmond Olympic Oval, starting in 2017. Winnipeg has hosted the program for the past 25 years.
The South Delta Secondary School graduate enjoyed a standout collegiate career at the University of Houston, before playing professionally in Europe. The 26-year-old earned the Top Blocker Award at last month's NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament in Nebraska where Canada fell short of earning a spot in Rio this summer.
The Optimist caught up with Charuk last week in Germany where she recently joined Rote Raben Vilsbiburg for the balance of the Bundesliga season.
What are your thoughts on the national team re-locating to your hometown?
I think it is awesome. Of course for me it is naturally going to be a good move because I will get to be closer to my family, friends and where I grew up. I've been out of the volleyball scene in B.C. since I left high school in 2007 and haven't been a part of the community as much as I would have liked over these past nine years. I also thing the move will bring new life into the program. A fresh start and new opportunity to be successful. Working with the (Volleyball Canada Centre of Excellence) for a little while in January reminded me that the volleyball community in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland is so strong and there is so much local support.
What kind of difference is it going to make in your life? Especially since you typically are coming from playing pro ball in Europe?
I think I will have more of a home base when I return from Europe. Since playing with the national team, my summers have been filled with time in Winnipeg and travelling to various tournaments. With the time off that we get, I try to come home but sometimes it doesn't work out with our schedule or I only get a few days in town. I also value balance in life, in terms of time in the gym and time away. Being home will give me a greater opportunity to reset when I'm off the court and be I'll able to come back more focused in the gym the next day. It will be important for me, especially when I think about retiring from playing, because I will have a great network and life outside volleyball in the city which I call home.
With Canada missing out on Rio, is your plans to be part of the next four year cycle towards Toyko in 2020? Does the national team now being in Richmond next year impact that decision at all?
No matter where the team ended up I always planned to play for another cycle. I have a strong passion for the sport and I love being on the national team. Moving to Richmond is an added bonus which will only drive me harder to keep playing for as long as I am able to or have the passion for it.
Have you been playing in Europe right from graduating at Houston? How many teams and leagues have you played in? How long is the season?
Yes, I started playing overseas actually before I graduated from Houston. I joined a team in Croatia in the spring after my eligibility was up and returned to finish my degree the following fall. Since then, I have played in Slovenia as well as on another team in Germany last season. I made the decision to stay in Winnipeg this fall to get the best quality training in preparation for the Olympic Qualifier. Once the tournament was over I was then again looking for a team to join for the rest of the season.My current club was interested in signing me at the end of January and I jumped on the opportunity. It was an easy decision. When joining a team halfway through the season, things move very quickly. I signed a contract on a Wednesday and was on a flight to Germany on Saturday. The regular season runs from October to April.
