Another weekend, another collection of gold.
Senior Gryphons boys and girls added to their haul of precious metal with victories away from home, reinforcing Barrhead’s reputation as a kingdom for school volleyball. While the boys were being crowned zone champions in Athabasca, the girls went undefeated in Westlock, beating perennial rivals R.F. Staples in the final.
It means the boys qualify for provincials in Whitecourt this week and the girls compete in Camrose.
Senior boys coach Rod Calihoo hailed his team’s performance last weekend in a competitive zone that saw some incredibly tight games.
With a slate of round robin matches, it was essential for the Gryphons to pace themselves and peak at the right moments.
It was a feat they accomplished with distinction.
In the round robin section, the Gryphons beat Drayton Valley 25-8 and 25-15, Athabasca 25-21 and 25-13, and Morinville 25-18 and 25-22.
They then lost a nail-biter against Whitecourt, conceding the first game 25-15 before rebounding in the second, 25-19. In the decider, they fell agonizingly short, 16-14.
Another powerful opponent awaited them – Edson. This too turned into a cliffhanger, with Barrhead coming home 33-31 and 25-22.
Next up was an old foe, Westlock. As often happens between two rivals, every point had to be scrapped for as the momentum swung one way, then the other. Try as they might the Gryphons couldn’t press home any brief advantage, eventually losing 27-25 and 25-23.
The result meant the Gryphons finished second in the round robin pool. And so on to the semi final where they overcame Edson 25-22 and 25-23.
In the final they faced Athabasca. Compared to some of the previous struggles, this proved a more straightforward affair, with the Gryphons clinching gold with a 25-12, 25-16 victory.
“The zone tournament was incredibly balanced and a marathon,” said coach Rod Calihoo.
“We are very happy to represent our zone at provincials that start on November 22. We will travel to Whitecourt for the tournament.”
Calihoo was delighted with the way the Gryphons held their nerve when the going got tough.
“The team played well in the very tight matches,” he said. “We were able to get better the further we went in the tournament. It was a great accomplishment to win a very competitive zone.”
Meanwhile, the senior girls were rolling all before them in Westlock.
They topped the round robin pool, gaining the satisfaction of beating R.F. Staples. It proved to be a dress rehearsal for the final, which the Gryphons won 25-18 and 25-17.
The triumph – and the manner in which it was achieved – delighted coach Kyle Becker.
For any team to go undefeated over eight matches speaks volumes for its powers of concentration. The reward is a trip to Camrose, where the Gryphons will compete on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“We are very excited to go to the provincials,” said Becker.
