All four Belmont secondary volleyball teams will battle for Island supremacy this weekend.
The junior and senior girls’ teams brought home first place city championship trophies earlier this month. The junior and senior boys’ teams placed third in city’s.
The junior girls fought hard to win the title defeating Oak Bay in a tiebreaker. When the team faced off against Claremont in the finals the Bulldogs were plagued with injuries and missing players, but the girls persevered to win yet another tie breaker.
“The team has gotten better and better, we didn’t expect this,” said Ken Lowe, junior girls’ coach. “We are ecstatic to be going to the Island (championship).”
The junior girls will compete at Claremont secondary for Island championships Nov. 16 and 17. The top four teams move on to the provincials.
“Our kids buy into a system of how to play volleyball,” said Lowe. “They know what to do and are able to stay composed in different situations. We play more of a team game.”
The senior girls’ team also had a couple tense tie-breaker games at city’s against Mount Doug in the semi finals and Oak Bay in the finals.
“It was a close as you can get 16-14, you have to win by two points, it was a nail-biter,” Mike Toakley, senior girls coach.
The top two senior girls teams at the Islands in Nanaimo will move on to provincials.
“We have to make it to the finals to make it,” said Toakley. “Our strengths is our servers. We are not going to win unless we play as a unit. As long as we pay with emotion we have a chance to get though to the finals.”
The junior boys’ defeated Claremont in its final game of city championships for third place and took the win in the tie-breaker round. Only the top three teams secured a spot in the Islands.
“The junior boys had the toughest match to win,” Lowe said.
The senior boys’ team moved up to the semi finals but lost to Reynolds then defeated Claremont to take third.
“That was a disappointment for them, they were ranked second before going to the city’s,” Lowe said. The senior boys’ team consists of a lot of Grade 11 students plan to return next year.
“That team is going to be a very strong team,” Toakley said. “The senior boys’ team is going to be the team to beat next year.”
The top three junior boys’ teams and the top four senior boys’ teams will move on to provincials.