Dragons win post season A Boys volleyball tournament

Chris Davis - On Friday October 28 four area teams converged at the Matthew Halton High School gym in Pincher Creek for the A Boys post season volleyball tournament. Participating teams included St. Michael's Dragons, Livingstone's Sabres, the Crowsnest Pass Panthers, and hosts the Matthew Halton Hawks. After four games, St. Michael's A Boys Dragons emerged as the Post Season champions after a tough three sets against the Panthers. The Dragons were also first in the South Western Junior High Athletic Association (SWJHAA) league this season.

League and Post Season Champions - 2016 St. Michael's A Boys Dragons

Post Season Second Place - 2016 Crowsnest Pass A Boys Panthers

Post Season Third Place - 2016 A Boys Livingstone Sabres

Tournament hosts - 2016 A Boys Halton Hawks

Game 1 was between the Sabres and the Dragons. The Dragons won it easily in two sets, but the young Sabres team showed a marked improvement in the second set. Up next were the Panthers and the Hawks. The Hawks played valiantly with a 6-man bench, but were defeated by the Panthers in two close and competitive sets. Game 3 was for third place, and featured a very tight competition between the Hawks and the Sabres. The Sabres earned an early lead in the first set, but the Hawks worked hard to make up the deficit, ultimately falling short with the Sabres winning it 25-20. The second set was one of the most dramatic of the day, with the Hawks building on their momentum to win it 27-25. The Sabres earned third place with a strong final set, winning it 15-9.

Dragons vs Sabres

Hawks vs Panthers

Hawks vs Sabres

Panthers vs Dragons

The Dragons and Panthers faced each other for the final game of the tournament, which decided first and second place. The Panthers had a much larger bench. It looked like it was going to be a Panthers blowout after they dominated the first set from beginning to end, winning it 25-8. However, the Dragons came out strong in the second set, with the score tied several times and the Dragons maintaining a slight edge for most of the rest of it. The Dragons won it by the narrowest of margins, 26-24, to force a third deciding set. The Dragons secured a lead early in the final set and maintained it through to a 15-8 win, to win the set, the game, and the tournament.  In the award ceremony that followed the Dragons also received their medals for placing First in the league.

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