Post Season Sr. volleyball tournament held at St. Michael's and Matthew Halton Schools

Toni Lucas and Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Westwinds Sr. Boys Post-Season Volleyball Tournament
F.P. Walsh Flyers vs St. Michael's Dragons
C. Davis photo

Volleyball was the name of the game in Pincher Creek on Saturday, November 12. The Westwinds Volleyball Senior Girls and Boys Post-Season tournament kept the Matthew Halton and St. Michael's gymnasiums busy for most of the day, with twelve games played from 8:30 am until around 10 pm.

Sr. Boys F.P. Walshe Flyers vs Livingstone Sabres
T. Lucas photo

Each game was a best of five.  If a fifth set was necessary it ran to 15 points, instead of 25, with the victor needing a two-point lead.

Game 1 - Sr. Boys: Coalhurst Trojans vs Crowsnest Pass Pandas.
The Sr. Boys Trojans defeated the Crowsnest Pandas in three straight sets, 25-17, 25-23, 25-6.

Game 2 - Sr. Girls: Coalhurst Trojans vs FP Walshe Flyers.  The Flyers were the team to beat, and nobody did.  They dominated the Trojans, taking the game in three straight sets, 25-12, 25-14, 25-17.

Game 3 - Sr. Boys: St. Michael's Dragons vs WCCHS Cobras
St. Michael's took the match in the first three sets. 25-14, 25-5, 25-22.

Game 4 - Sr. Girls: Kainai vs Lundbreck Sabres at St. Michael's. Another three set game, the Sabres taking the match 25-11, 25-19, 25-20.

Sr. Boys: Lundbreck Sabres vs Nobleford
T. Lucas photo

Game 5 - Sr. Boys: Lundbreck Sabres vs Nobleford.
The Nobleford Blades started strong, taking the first set, 25-21. Then the Sabres sharpened their game, taking the next three sets 25-20, 25-22, and 25-16.  This 3-1 win moved the Sabres forward to the semi-finals.

Game 6 - Sr. Girls: St. Michael's Dragons vs WCCHS Cobras.

Sr. Girls: Dragons vs Cobras
C. Davis photo

These two teams were too evenly matched to guess the outcome.  The Cobras struck first, taking the first set 25-20.  The Dragons fought back hard, taking the next two sets 25-20 then 25-16.  In the fourth set, the Cobras gained ground, winning 25-22.  Taking it to a nail-biting finish, the Cobras took the last set 15-10, moving the Cobras to the semi finals.

After the game, Dragons coach Tyler Speelman reflected on the strides the team has made this season.  "It was up and down, but we're peaking at the right time, right before zones, so that's really good to see," he said.  "We're blocking and hitting well, and digging in like we haven't all year, it's nice to see they're actually finally starting to listen to their coach.  There are three Grade 10 girls that have stepped up to the plate in huge roles for us...we have an exciting future here for the next couple of years of our Girls volleyball, for sure."

Game 7 - Sr. Girls Semi Final: WCCHS Cobras vs JT Foster Raiders.
The Cobras seemed a bit sluggish during the first set, losing it to the Raiders 25-14.  They pulled it together, giving the Raiders a real challenge in the next two sets.  The Raiders managed to win both of those sets by much narrower margins, 25-23 and 25-21, enough to send them to the Final.

Game 8 - Sr. Girls Semi Final:  FP Walshe Flyers vs the Lundbreck Sabres.

Emma Lowry of the
Lundbreck Sabres
C. Davis photo

The Flyers made quick work of the Lundbreck team, winning the match in three straight sets. 25-11, 25-16, and 25-13, earning the Flyers a berth in the Final.

Game 9 - Sr. Boys Semi Final: FP Walshe Flyers vs the Livingstone Sabres.

Sr. Boys: Flyers vs Sabres
C. Davis photo

The Flyers Boys were not going to be outdone by the girls team, handily beating the Sabres in three straight sets. 25-12, 25-10, and 25-14, and into the Final.

Game 10 - Sr. Boys semi final Dragons vs CHS Coalhurst Trojans.

Sr. Boys: Dragons vs Trojans
C. Davis photo

The Trojans fought bravely but crumpled under the Dragon firepower, the Dragons winning in three exhausting sets. 25-20, 25-20, 25-17.

FINALS

Seniors Girls Final 

In the Senior Girls Final game, Fort Macleod's F.P. Walshe Flyers squared off against Nanton's J.T. Foster Raiders.

Sr. Girls Final game: F.P. Walshe Flyers vs J.T. Foster Raiders
C. Davis photo

The game was charged with the excitement that had been building all day.  The Flyers looked like the team to beat from the outset, having played a controlled and powerful game all day.  The Raiders had also proven themselves to be made of the tough stuff, but on this day they weren't quite tough enough to beat the Flyers, who took the game in three hard-sets.  25-23, 25-14, and 25-20 for the Flyers, who danced away with the Westwinds Volleyball League Girls Championship banner.

J.T. Foster Flyers

Westwinds Volleyball 2011 Champions

C. Davis photos

Senior Boys Final

Like their Girls team counterparts, the F.P. Walshe Senior Boys clearly demonstrated they were the team to beat during this tournament.  The Senior Dragons gave them a terrific challenge.  In terms of personality and style you would be hard pressed to find two more different teams. Of a large number of volleyball games played in Pincher Creek this week, this was the standout thriller.  There was at least one volley that went on long enough to be classified as it's own game, with all the thrills, upsets, and recoveries any sports fan could wish for.

The Flyers are a slick bunch.  They've got more tricks than a Marvel Comic magician, including secret hand signals and a big bag of well-practiced fakeouts.  Like the other F.P. Walshe teams we saw this week, they have teamwork down to an exact science, with every athlete knowing his role in an unhesitating way.  Their pre-game workout alone causes many of their opponents to suddenly consider a different sport.  These guys are very serious about volleyball.

On the other hand, the Dragons come off as a relatively laid back bunch, until that ball is in the air.  Their laconic style is full of surprises, their reflexes have paved the way for many of their victories, and they perform very well under pressure.  On this day, playing this match, they were clearly at a boiling point, looking a bit peaked from their earlier hard-won victories, but still in the game. Emotions were running high for the team, to put it bluntly.

Flyers vs Dragons
C. Davis photo

What the packed Dale Wentz Memorial Gymnasium got to witness was one of those legendary matches, the kind that people will talk about with a wistful look in their eye years from now.  It was a privilege to see two teams so focused on the dynamics of the game, and we were treated to volley after volley of edge-of-your-seat action.  The Flyers pounded the ball at the Dragons with military precision, from set up to fake out to drilling spike shots.  The Dragons kept snatching points from what looked to be obvious losses.  In the end, it wasn't enough for the home team. The Flyers took the match in three straight sets, 25-17, 25-11, and 25-13.  A dramatic day, and another big win for the Flyers, who took home the Westwinds Volleyball League Boys Championship banner.

F.P. Walshe Senior Boys Flyers
2011 Westwind Volleyball League Champions
C. Davis photo

ALL-STARS

The coaches gathered in the afternoon to decide on the Westwinds All-Stars, which were announced and awarded during the evening at St. Michael's School.

Westwinds Volleyball Boys All-Stars:

• MVP John Woynarowsky, FPW
• 1 Josh Hilliard, SMHS
• 2 Nathan Bruder, SMHS
• 3 Lane Paidel, LHS
• 4 Brad Burrows, FPW
• 5 Brayden Van Dresten, FPW
• 6 Tyson Pariseau, NCHS
• 7 Johnathon Entz, CHS
• 8 Bryan Koentges, CNP
• 9 Morgan Cook, LHS
• 10 Jasper Woodard, SMHS
• 11 Riley DeBoer, NCHS

Westwinds Volleyball Girls All-Stars:

• MVP Emma Lowry, LHS
• 1 Shayne Hill, JTF
• 2 Lindsay Woolsey, JTF
• 3 Christene Burger, JTF
• 4 Cassie Walmsley, FPW
• 5 Sydney Plourde, FPW
• 6 Kayty Adrian, WCCHS
• 7 Marnie Ling, WCCHS
• 8 Gillian Roy, FPW
• 9 Sheanna Schamber, LHS
• 10 Katelyn Goodstriker, KHS

A big thank-you goes out to all the players, the parents, coaches, drivers and  volunteers that helped to make this tournament work so smoothly.  A special thanks to the scorekeepers at Matthew Halton and St. Michael's for their hard work over a long day.