The Sir George Simpson Voyageurs finished on top in Thursday’s up and down final against the defending city champions in junior high girls’ volleyball.
Simpson was poised to sweep the St. Albert Physical Education Council Tier 1 playoff against the Vincent J. Maloney Marauders after scores of 25-21 and 25-23 but then lost the next two sets 10-25 and 20-25 before rising to the challenge in the 15-9 clincher at Bellerose Composite High School.
“We came together at the end and we pulled through,” said Simpson captain Lauryn Tremblay. “We were really motivated. We really wanted this. It was all about pride.”
The third SAPEC banner in five years and the 12th in school history was extra special after losing last year’s final to VJM.
“We really wanted to win it because it was a rematch and that definitely played a role,” Tremblay said. “It just feels amazing.”
In the deciding set, VJM clawed its way back to pull even at eight but Simpson replied with five straight points for a commanding lead.
“We just worked as a team and not as individuals,” Tremblay said.
The two tallest players on Simpson’s roster – six-foot-one Taylar Kosloski and five-foot-11 Jenae John – rose to the challenge as the match wound down. Simpson’s overall height advantage was a major factor in the outcome.
The only time VJM led in the fifth set was off the opening serve.
“Both of us were playing at the same level so it could’ve gone both ways but it just happened to go their way,” said VJM captain Abbey Kirchner.
In the first set, Simpson battled from behind after a 7-1 start. Deficits of 20-14 and 21-18 were erased as Simpson capped off the comeback with a seven-point run on the strength of Avery Brettell’s serving and John’s power hitting.
In the second set, VJM let a 16-10 lead slip away as Simpson rattled off nine unanswered points. VJM regrouped to knot it at 23 with five straight points but was unable to make its hits count as Simpson recorded the last two points for the 2-0 lead.
“At the beginning we were kind of nervous,” Kirchner said. “We came in thinking they were better than us because we lost to them once (19-25, 25-13, 15-25, 16-25 in league play).”
It was a reversal of fortune for VJM in the next two sets as several long point runs, tighter defensive play and quality hits forced a fifth set.
“The momentum change was huge. We had some big blocks and hits and serves and we out-played them,” Kirchner said.
In the last set, Simpson refused to lose with a championship on the line.
“We really wanted to win it,” Tremblay said. “We had some ups and downs in the first four sets. We got a little nervous and we kind of got down on ourselves but then we brought ourselves back up.
“Our first couple of passes (in the fifth set) were great and that really helped us and motivate us.”
The final ranks among the very best in recent years.
“It was really exciting and tiring,” said Kirchner, 14, a Grade 9 setter and the only returning player on the VJM roster from last year’s 3-1 win over Simpson in the final for a SAPEC-leading 13th championship.
VJM was led by its player of the game, power hitter Lauren Miller, as the defending champions finished 7-3 (26 GW/13 GL).
Simpson improved to 8-2 (28 GW/13 GL) after finishing in a three-way tie with VJM and the Lorne Akins Gators (6-3, 21 GW/13 GL) in the regular season standings.
“I would really like to thank (head coach Dianne) Worthington for the great season we had,” said Tremblay, 14. “It’s very exciting what we did.”
The Grade 9 power and middle was among five returning players that led by example for the eight newcomers.
“We all have such a close bond. We talked and communicated really well but the big thing was we worked as a team,” said Tremblay, a major contributor to the team’s victory in the final.
Visit www.stalbertgazette.com to view the Simpson banner picture.
