Edwin Parr Composite’s senior boys volleyball team has rebounded from a slow start to become one of the most dangerous teams around.
And with zones in Spruce Grove this weekend, they have a chance of becoming the first EPC team to advance to provincials since 1995.
EPC Predators volleyball coach Chad LeMessurier knows all about that last team to represent the school on the provincial stage. He was on it.
“Provincials would be a cool experience for the boys,” said the coach, noting that the tournament has a ‘big event’ feel and is often scouted by college coaches.
But before they can think about provincials, they have to get through zones. There will be two provincial spots up for grabs this weekend; both teams that make it to the zone finals will advance to provincials, regardless of who wins.
The Predators go into the tournament ranked fifth out of nine teams in the zone. They’ll be in a pool with Morinville, Drayton Valley, Onoway, and perennial powerhouse Barrhead.
The coach believes his boys can play with all four of those teams, and with Barrhead in their pool, EPC won’t have to face them in a semi-final.
LeMessurier certainly has more reasons to be confident in his team now than he did earlier in the season, when they struggled to find their footing in their first tournaments. But they’ve been on a tear since then, playing great volleyball and collecting medals, like the silver they earned at a tournament in Edson earlier this month.
“Winning can become a habit. The boys are excited. It’s very addictive,” said the coach. “Our theme has been ‘pedal to the metal’. We’ve been imposing our will on teams, instead of adjusting to them.”
LeMessurier has seen positive change in the junior program as well. Led by Sean Morrison, the younger team has grown in numbers and put together a successful season of its own, which can only mean good things for the senior team in the future.
“As a boys volleyball program, we’ve taken a major step forward. Sean is doing a great job with the juniors; they’re a real promising group. And my boys have exceeded expectations.”
Now their focus is on zones, with a provincial berth tantalizingly close.
“The team has really committed to improving. They’ve put the time in. We’ve taken no days off.”
Thanks to that hard work, they’ll head to zones this weekend with a real chance of going even further.
