WESTLOCK - The Pembina North Community School (PNCS) Panthers and R.F. Staples School (RFS) T-Birds will be adding four more championship banners to the rafters as both school’s boys and girls junior high volleyball teams are 2022 zone champions.
While 14 teams, including Whitecourt, Barrhead, Athabasca, Morinville, Edson and Onoway, converged on the Rotary Spirit Centre Nov. 3 for the North Central Junior High 3J Zone Tournament, it was the host T-Birds who ruled the day.
The boys were dominant on the floor, going undefeated in the round robin and downed Barrhead in three sets to claim the zone banner. The girls meanwhile finished second in their pool, then posted wins over Athabasca and Onoway in the quarter and semifinals before dispatching Edson in the Thursday-night final.
RFS athletic director Kyle Beattie, who coached the junior girls to their zone banner, said the four zone titles are an accomplishment the entire Westlock area can be proud of.
“Looking ahead it certainly looks promising for volleyball for the next couple of years,” said Beattie, noting the school’s boys and girls triple ball teams also recently picked up gold and silver at a Barrhead tourney. “The program overall is really strong.”
Panthers strike
On the road in Hinton Nov. 3 for the single-day, 16-team North Central Junior High 1J Zone Tournament, both PNCS squads finished atop their round robin pools, then plowed through the semifinal and finals — the boys bested Hinton’s Father Gerard Redmond Community Catholic School 2-0 in the final, while the girls, who didn’t drop a set all day, defeated Swan Hills School 2-0.
Boys coach Mike Ivey and girls coach Sarah Hall couldn’t be happier for the kids, saying their hard work and commitment to improvement throughout the course of the season really paid off at zones.
“We’re very proud of them for sure, they worked hard all year. It’s a huge accomplishment to win a zone championship. Both teams had great days and we were pretty pumped that both the boys and girls could get it done,” said Ivey the morning after the event.
“They came so far during the season and they really peaked for zones,” added Hall.
Divisionals on tap
All four zone champions will now turn their attention to the all-day divisional tournament slated for Nov. 15 at the Rotary Spirit Centre, a 14-team affair that draws clubs from Barrhead to Athabasca. Both Ivey and Hall said that event will be a tough test but one they’re looking forward to.
“We’re looking forward to it and hopefully we can pull that one off too,” said Hall.
“We’re definitely excited for that tournament, we compete really well against those teams and we’re looking forward to it for sure,” added Ivey.
