As shifts go this was a long one – almost 12 hours.
Yet when gold is the result, who complains about heavy legs or a shoulder weary from serving?
Certainly not the Gryphons girls whose performance on Saturday at a Junior Varsity tournament at Barrhead Composite High School was as much a triumph of nerves, resilience and passion, as of volleyball skills.
In the final against Edmonton’s O’Leary, little separated the two sides. As often happens in such contests, character – or the ability to cope with pressure – became paramount.
Who would buckle first? It was a question that engaged spectators throughout three sets as they experienced the joys and agonies of each adroitly executed hit or misplaced serve.
Momentum swung back and forth. In the first set O’Leary stormed ahead, withstanding a late Gryphons comeback to take it 25-21.
After Barrhead reversed the score in the second set to force a decider, each point suddenly took on extra significance. Each mistake began to be accompanied by either a groan or whoop of delight.
It was about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday that the spectacle came to an end … and it was Barrhead fans who were cheering. The Gryphons clinched the set 15-11 after O’Leary made one mistake too many, dumping a serve into the net.
The hour was late, but there was an early morning buzz about the Gryphons as they received gold medals. Afterwards, the team of Kendall Holwerda, Tiara Weber, Carmen Strydhorst, Cassidy DeGroot, Victoria Nanninga, Amy Tuininga, Jory Bielert, Browyn Sawatzky, Sydney Grossenbach and Amanda Simoneau posed for camera-clicking family members.
Winning never gets tiring, nor does it tire.
For coach Gayle Lamothe another gold medal-winning performance further underlined the strength and intensity of BCHS’s volleyball program – a program that has caught the eye of many in the area and beyond.
Although the season is only a month old, Barrhead’s players have already devoted a lot of time to the sport. They know about hard work and have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed.
Lamothe believed desire was a key element in Saturday’s success.
“They showed a passion for the game,” she said.
Such passion was evident when they topped their pool in the round robin section of the eight-team tournament, seeing off Morinville 25-18, 25-17, O’Leary 25-23, 25-19 and St. Mary’s 25-15, 25-15.
It was also evident in the playoffs when they beat Swan Hills and Morinville to reach the finals and lock horns again with O’Leary.
Lamothe, however, knows there is always room for improvement, even for gold medallists.
Gryphons girls can expect to do plenty of hitting, serving and receiving at their upcoming practice sessions.
“We work on every part of the game,” said Lamothe.
