Logan Hamilton knew the moment was coming for two months, but it really hit her as she stood on the court in Honduras.
“Listening to the national anthem, seeing the flag on our shirt, holding on to the other girls, it just blows my mind,” the 16-year-old Acton resident said.
It had been a dream to represent her country, but Hamilton never expected it to happen so quickly. Just five years after taking up volleyball, she found herself playing for Canada at a qualifier for the first-ever world under-17 championships.
And when Canada edged the Dominican Republic in a marathon five-set match to earn the bronze medal, she and her teammates ensured Canada would be competing in Switzerland at the U17 world championships.
Canada went 4-1 at the tournament, with its only loss coming in the semifinals against the eventual champions from Mexico.
“I always wanted to play for the national team,” Hamilton said. “To get to play at such a young age, I’m so grateful for that experience and being exposed to that kind of competition. It was really incredible.”
Canada won its pool with three straight victories, including a five-set victory over Cuba. Hamilton turned in her best game of the tournament in a win over Costa Rica in which she scored seven points and had 10 digs.
Hamilton was always active growing up. She was involved in cheerleading, rugby, football and dancing, but all took a backseat to volleyball when she took up the sport in Grade 6.
“It felt like I had more of a connection (with volleyball),” she said. “I had a passion for it.”
Although the pandemic cut into her time on the court, Hamilton continued to develop her skills. In May, the right-side hitter won the Canadian under-15 girls championship with Mississauga’s Pakmen Volleyball Club.
Having that experience playing in high-stakes matches helped Hamilton at the qualifier. Even more important was the connection between the players on the team. When they got into the bronze medal match where every set was decided by two points, there was a belief that they were going to succeed.
“Some teams can get deflated at times, but whenever that happened, we just said, ‘We’ve got this,’” Hamilton said. “We trusted each other and that helped pull us through in those tough moments.”
And now with Canada’s place secure for the world championships and some national team experience under her belt, Hamilton is looking forward to the future.
“It was a big eye opener, the things we were able to accomplish and achieve,” she said. “I’m excited about what’s next.”
