Courts set for tonight鈥檚 Supervolley finals
It will be a battle between F.H. Collins and Porter Creek Secondary Schools for Supervolley supremacy.
By Marissa Tiel on November 4, 2016
It will be a battle between F.H. Collins and Porter Creek Secondary Schools for Supervolley supremacy.
In the semifinals last night at Porter鈥圕reek Secondary School (PCSS), the F.H.鈥圕ollins lady Warriors won 3-1 against the Vanier Catholic School Crusaders to win a berth in tonight鈥檚 final against PCSS.
With the most wins during regular season round-robin play, PCSS earned a bye into the final.
鈥淯nfortunately for us, it just didn鈥檛 work out for us,鈥 said Vanier coach Bruce Gillard.
In his first season coaching senior girls volleyball, Gillard helped the Crusaders to a silver medal in Dawson last weekend. He has 18 years of coaching experience.
The Crusaders dropped the first set 25-16 before a disappointing 25-4 loss in the second set.
But they came back in the third, fighting to a 25-20 victory to make the game 2-1 for the Warriors.
鈥淭hey came out really well in the third set. They really stepped it up and took advantage of the other team being a little bit on a streak and on a high and thinking they were going to get that third set easily,鈥 said Gillard. 鈥淲e used that to our
advantage and got that third set and fought as hard as we could for the fourth.鈥
But it wasn鈥檛 enough, as the Warriors took the fourth set 25-20 for the game win.
In his fifth year coaching the lady Warriors, Adam Robinson said they got off to a bit of a slow start to the season.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had our ups and downs, mostly ups. It鈥檚 been good. The girls are improving. Slowly but surely they鈥檙e improving.鈥
Robinson wasn鈥檛 overly impressed with the quality of volleyball in the girls semifinal.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that either team played at their potential. I was looking forward to some more exciting volleyball from both sides,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut we did some nice things and Vanier certainly had some nice moments.鈥
He said this season the Warriors have been working on playing as a team instead of as individuals.
鈥淏efore we even step on the floor, I want them focused on each other and on volleyball,鈥 he said.
The Warriors face the PCSS Rams in the Supervolley finals at 5 p.m. at PCSS tonight. Supervolley is the Whitehorse-area senior volleyball league.
Robinson hopes the girls teams will bring more enthusiasm to the final.
鈥淲in or lose it鈥檚 nice when both teams are playing really good volleyball,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more fun.鈥
On the boys side, the Warriors swept the Crusaders in three straight sets last night to take the remaining berth in the final tonight against the Rams.
Mike Kelly, head coach for the Warriors said that tonight is one of the biggest games of the season.
Since being transferred to F.H. Collins from PCSS, he has been working to encourage strong mental awareness with his team.
鈥淚 was looking to see grit, determination, competitiveness,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey had all the tools. They had the passing, the hitting, the setting, but I wanted to see them compete and practise every game. I also wanted to see them play like a
unit on the court, not as six individuals, but as a team.
鈥淓very day that I鈥檓 with them I feel like they鈥檙e getting closer and closer.鈥
After the game last night, Kelly told his team to visualize the plays for tonight, to eat and hydrate and get some rest, but most of all, to 鈥淕et ready to battle.鈥
鈥淧orter Creek, every time we play them has brought their 鈥楢鈥 game and I鈥檓 not expecting anything less,鈥 he said.
鈥淭hey have been ready to compete with us from the first serve to the last point and they鈥檙e going to be ready to go, so we have to be ready to go.鈥
For the Crusaders, it was a disappointing end to the Supervolley season.
鈥淲e just came out dull,鈥 said coach Erik Gray. 鈥淐ement blocks. Couldn鈥檛 really move today.鈥
Their strategy of 鈥渇eeding the beast,鈥 a.k.a game MVP Jesse McCuaig almost paid off with a late comeback in the second set, but they ultimately came up short.
鈥淭his year we鈥檝e been knocking on the door. We鈥檝e been getting better every game minus this one and I think we鈥檙e hopefully going to come together right at the end,鈥 said Gray. 鈥淵ukon Champs I鈥檓 hoping we just kick the door down.鈥
The Supervolley finals kick off tonight at PCSS at 5 p.m. with the girls game and the boys matchup to follow at 6:30 p.m.
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