ST. JOHN’S, NL (August 17, 2025): Beach Volleyball athlete Alexa Smith’s 2025 Canada Summer Games experience was bookended by two very memorable experiences.
At the Opening Ceremony on August 9th, she served as Team Sask torch bearer in the final legs of the cross-provincial Torch Relay, handing off the torch moments before the flame was lit to signify the official opening of the Games.
And on the last day of week one competition, she earned the first-ever Canada Games medal for Team Sask in Beach Volleyball along with her teammate Erika Markentin.
The pair won against Alberta 2-1 to take home the bronze medal.
Immediately afterwards, Markentin was asked how it felt. “I’m not gonna lie, in the second set it was close–we kind of lost it there–but it’s just about not giving up hope. We had that. And it was an amazing third set. Money set by Alexa.”
Added Smith, “Crazy swings. We trained so hard and I’m so proud of how we stuck together and just never gave up.”
When asked what was going through their minds after the final point was scored, Smith replied that she couldn’t believe it. “Oh my gosh, this can’t be real. I thought I was dreaming.”
Markentin felt similarly. “I was dreaming about this last night and I was like, that was a dream. That was a dream. Lock in, lock in, and we actually did it. That’s crazy. Saskatchewan has never medalled in Beach, and we just did for the first time. Let’s go.”
Markentin also reflected on the gravity of the accomplishment. “It feels so good to set that standard for Saskatchewan volleyball. Going into each game, knowing we’re an underdog, it just fuels us because nobody sees that coming. So every time we get a good swing, ace a serve, get a block, it just feels that much better.”
The 19-year-old teammates are both Division 1 Beach Volleyball players in the United States (Markentin competes for California State University Bakersfield, while Smith is at the University of Alabama at Birmingham) and both also happen to be twins. Smith’s twin sister is also a competitive Beach Volleyball player, and Markentin previously competed alongside her twin sister Elisa at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Sailing. Their mom Joan and brother Bjorn are also Canada Games alumni: Joan sailed Laser in both the 1989 and 1993 Canada Summer Games, while Bjorn competed in Diving in 2013 and 2017.
Week two competition of the 2025 Canada Summer Games will begin on Tuesday, August 19. Find the schedule here.
Beach Volleyball Bronze: Watch the interview
Beach Volleyball Bronze: View the photo gallery
Photo credit: Michael Scraper/Team Sask
QUICK LINKS
- Daily schedule *Filter by date, location, sport and/or team
- Results
- Saskatchewan Medal Count
- Full Medal Table
- Full Team Sask roster (sorted by sport and hometown)
- Athlete bios
MEDIA RESOURCES
- PHOTOS: Galleries link *Please credit Michael Scraper/Team Sask
- VISIT: teamsask.ca | 2025canadagames.ca
- WATCH: canadagames.ca/watch
- FOLLOW: @goteamsask on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok
ABOUT TEAM SASK
Athletes who compete at the Canada Games represent the country’s next generation of national, international, Olympic, and Paralympic champions. Team Sask alumni Catriona Le May Doan, Mark McMorris, Emily Clark, Rylan Wiens, Shelby Newkirk, and Carissa Norsten, among many others, can all count their previous Canada Games experiences as a stepping stone to the highest levels of sport.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Darren Dupont
Team Sask Media Lead
(639) 471-0167
Karen Lawson
Team Sask Communications Lead
(306) 529-3120
