CDS Student Selected for Team Ontario Indoor & Beach Volleyball
Aris Dhanoa ‘25 has been intensely focused on her volleyball future since earning spots on both Team Ontario Indoor and Team Ontario Beach last spring. The CDS Grade 12 student was one of 28 athletes selected for the Indoor team and one of 24 for the Beach team, experiences that have further driven her post-secondary ambitions.
Before discovering her passion for volleyball at a summer camp between Grades 7 and 8, Aris spent over a decade playing club soccer. She balanced both sports for three years, including playing for the CDS teams, until she ultimately deciding to give up soccer so to avoid future ankle injuries. Last year she played field hockey for CDS, and although she was a top competitor, this year she is fully committed to volleyball.
This will be the 6’1” middle blocker’s second year playing for the Leaside Bolts premier club. It is while playing for Leaside last year that Aris applied and qualified for Team Ontario.
Following a 10-day training camp at Nipissing University in July, where she worked alongside 28 other athletes and high-level coaches, Aris and her peers were divided into two teams for the Canada Cup tournament in Calgary. She recalls it as being an incredible experience, filled with cherished memories and friendships.
Meanwhile, Aris and her Beach teammate placed 5th in Canada at the 17U Nationals tournament last summer at Ashbridge’s Bay in Toronto.
She had this to say about the experience, “It was my first year playing full-time Beach so I was very excited to have the opportunity to compete at this level!”
In addition to playing for Leaside this year, Aris looks forward to playing on her school team once again, including a much-anticipated mid-season volleyball trip to Havana, Cuba in December. Cuba has always been known for a high skill-level of play and world class coaching. This will be an opportunity for our students to further improve their volleyball skills by participating in training sessions and playing matches against Cuban teams, strengthen their team bond, and explore the history and culture of Cuba.
According to CDS Coach Phil Moorlag, “Aris was an invaluable member of our D1 championship winning team last year. Her front row attacks had our opponents scrambling at every match. Aris not only brings a wealth of volleyball skill and knowledge to the team, but she injects energy and spirit with her infectious enthusiasm and support for her teammates.”
This will be an exciting year for Aris and the CDS Senior Girls’ Volleyball team. We wish them all the best!
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
