In their final tournament before heading to Drayton Valley for zones, the R.F. Staples senior girls volleyball team broke their season-long goose egg and emerged as champions.
Making their first tournament win more special was the fact it came in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre at the end of the Nov. 15-16 R.F. Staples Senior Invitational tournament.
“Usually the home tournament is the hardest to win,” coach Keith Szautner said. “You have your fans there, but that can be positive or taxing. The players also have hosting duties, so they have to be mentally sharp to win.”
The girls earned their gold medals thanks to a 25-23, 25-19 win over Vegreville.
That win came on the heels of a 25-22, 25-19 victory over St. Paul in the semifinals, and a tight 27-25, 25-20 win over Barrhead in the quarterfinals.
Szautner said the win was also the result of the girls playing consistent volleyball and playing the big points.
“I’ve been harping on them all year about playing the big points,” he said. “They did it this time.”
Not hurting the girls’ cause was strong bench support, Szautner added. The players on the bench could be heard cheering, and contributed big plays when called upon.
“It was a team effort,” he said.
The girls needed to play three playoff rounds to win because they finished the round robin in second place and therefore did not have a bye into the semifinals.
They opened the tournament with a 25-13, 25-17 win over Onoway, before knocking off Whitecourt 25-10, 25-10.
Against Morinville in their third match, the girls continued their roll, coming away with a 25-15, 25-23 win.
With a playoff berth secured, the girls took on Vegreville, losing in three sets, 22-25, 25-20, 16-18, leaving them in second place.
Second place meant they faced Barrhead, the third-place team in the other pool, in the first playoff round, with the winning getting the other pool’s first-place team, St. Paul, in the semifinals.
Up next for the girls is the zone tournament Nov. 22-23 in Drayton Valley, from which only the winner will advance to provincials.
Szautner said the team’s goal is to qualify for the playoffs and make it all the way to the zone final, where anything can happen.
“I like our chances,” he said.
