WESTLOCK — The R.F. Staples Sr. boys’ volleyball team are getting better with every game. That improvement includes winning a gold medal in their home tournament, the T-Birds Invitational, Sept. 20-21.
“We didn’t actually lose a set over the whole weekend. We won every game,” said head coach Doug Sereda. “This was by far our best showing. We did progressively better each tournament …it was the best volleyball that we’ve played this year.”
The T-Birds played six matches against a total of eight teams, including those from Morinville, Grande Prairie, Spruce Grove, Ponoka and Lac La Biche, in their third tournament of the season. The regular season, which runs from the end of August to end of November, started with tournaments in early and mid-September in Edmonton and Sherwood Park respectively.
In addition to regular practices, the season will include weekly tournaments from September to November. This year, the team includes 11 players in Grades 10-12 with a number of returning veteran players who bring maturity and experience to the court, noted Sereda.
“These Grade 12 (players) came through the program right at the end of COVID-19, and they were a Grade 10 group that came in playing senior volleyball,” he said, noting how their three years of experience has helped guide the younger players on the team. “My Grade 12’s have taken these boys and showed them what it means to be on a senior level volleyball team and they have been huge role models for these Grade 10 boys,” explained Sereda.
Moving forward, the coach noted a desire to focus more on mental preparations and on the team’s mental aspect of the game, while their goal this season is to make Zones, which R.F. Staples School is hosting in November.
“Our goal is to finish off with a (Zones) banner. Last year they lost in the semi-final at Zones and this year there is no doubt that we can come out of Zones winning first and getting a berth to go to Provincials in Lloydminister,” said Sereda. “We have more than enough talent to get us there.”
