The Morinville Lady Wolves celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Lions Western Canadian Challenge as the first host team to reach the final in the high school volleyball tournament.
The Wolves finished second overall for silver in the 24-team women’s draw after Saturday’s 18-25, 21-25 loss to the Peace Wapiti Academy Titans of Grande Prairie at the SkyDome.
In 2004 the Wolves placed fourth and three times lost in the quarterfinals. The best results for the men’s team at Morinville Community High School in tournament history were three quarterfinal appearances.
In the first set, the Titans jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The Wolves closed the gap a couple of times but the Titans maintained their advantage with some long point runs.
After a shaky start in the next set, the Wolves chipped away at an 8-3 deficit to go on top 14-13. The Titans gradually pulled ahead with a relentless barrage of hard hits and timely tips. Both teams put on a show with some spectacular digs before the Titans prevailed to win the gold.
In the six-team pool A round robin, the Wolves (4-1) lost 16-25, 25-27 to the Titans (5-0) as both teams qualified for the medal round.
Two weeks ago the Wolves beat the Titans in the final of the St. Peter the Apostle Spartans’ tournament in Spruce Grove.
The Wolves reached the WCC final by sweeping the Spartans 25-22, 25-21 in a hard-fought semifinal. In three previous meetings against the Spartans, a metro Edmonton division two pool B team, the teams split two matches at the first tournament of the year in Barrhead, with the Wolves losing the final in three sets. At the Spartans’ tournament, the Wolves came out on top in three sets in the semifinals.
The WCC was the fourth tournament for the Wolves, winners of 25 out of 28 matches. They also won the Fort Saskatchewan tournament.
The team’s 10-player roster consists of five returning players, including three Grade 12s, six Grade 11s and one Grade 10.
Saturday’s third-place playoff at the SkyDome saw the St. Albert Skyhawks repeat as bronze medallists with a 25-20, 26-24 decision against the Spartans. The Skyhawks were down 20-24 in the second set when Jenai Kidd was subbed on to serve and she ran off six points in a row for the win.
In the semifinals, the Skyhawks lost 19-25, 25-15, 13-15 to the Titans.
In pool C, the Skyhawks (4-1) placed second out of six teams and the only loss for the metro division one team was 23-25, 25-12, 13-15 to the St. Joseph Ceinahs (4-1) of Grande Prairie.
Abby Schneider, a Grade 12 Libero, controlled the backcourt throughout the tournament for the 2013 3A provincial silver medallists.
In the 24-team men’s draw the Wolves (5-0) placed first in pool A and the Skyhawks (3-2) finished third in pool C.
In the playoffs, the Barrhead Gryphons eliminated the Wolves in two sets in the quarterfinals and the Skyhawks won the consolation final in Morinville. The metro division two pool B team was the only side to push Barrhead, the two-time defending champions, to three sets in Saturday’s playoff round at 23-25, 26-24, 8-15.
Visit www.mchs.gsacrd.ab.ca for tournament results.
The WCC, Panther Invitational at Spruce Grove, Super Mega Volleyball at Maidstone, Sask., and the Big Spike at Shaftesbury High School in Winnipeg are the largest high school volleyball tournaments in Canada with 48 teams.
Last year’s winners of the Alberta Travelers (Dominions) Curling Club women’s championship met their match against the Morgan Muise rink of Calgary in Sunday’s playoffs at the Edmonton Garrison Memorial Golf and Curling Club.
The Lauren Jenkyns rink of the St. Albert Curling Club dropped an 8-5 decision in seven ends to Muise in the semifinal. With the hammer Muise counted three in the second end to lead 3-2 and put up another three spot in five to make it 6-4. A deuce in seven clinched it.
In the final, Diana Backer, the lead for Jenkyns at the 2013 nationals who skipped a rink from the Granite Curling Club at provincials, lost 6-3 in six ends to Muise, who never trailed and recorded deuces in the first, third and fifth ends with the hammer. It was the third game of the day for Muise.
In the Page 1-2 playoff a steal of three in the eighth and last end by Backer sealed the deal in the 8-3 victory over Jenkyns. The result propelled Backer into the final and dropped Jenkyns into the semifinal against Muise, the winner of the Page 3-4 game.
In the eight-team double knockout draw Jenkyns, third Kathy Piper, second Laurie Schreiner and lead Cindy Bobowik – the 2014 St. Albert President’s Cup playoff champions and the Edmonton and area Tournament of Champions winners – doubled Muise 6-3 in the opening game.
The Alberta Travelers (Dominions) consist of men’s and women’s championship rinks from their respective clubs who qualified for provincials through a playdown format.
Muise will represent Alberta at nationals, Nov. 24 to 29 in Halifax, N.S.
The following students from St. Albert and Namao were among the top-100 finishers in their respective age groups at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association cross-country championships Saturday.
Junior (U16) female 3,000 metres: Kyra Robinson, St. Albert Skyhawks – 13th, 13.35 minutes; Ainsley McKinley, Paul Kane Blues – 54th, 14.49.
Intermediate (U17) female 4,000m: Colleen Moore, Paul Kane – 53rd, 20.02.
Senior (U19) female 4,000m: Lindsay Riege, Paul Kane – 24th, 18.29.
Junior male 4,000m: Luke Hanson, Paul Kane – ninth, 15.08; Riley Stuermer, Skyhawks – 27th, 15.55; Shae Kelly, Paul Kane – 37th, 16.05.
Intermediate male 5,000m: Josh Heinrichs, Paul Kane – 14th, 19.17.
Senior male 6,000m: Zane MacDonald, Sturgeon Spirits – 15th, 23.50.
The top 18 runners in their age groups at the recent Edmonton zone championships at Goldbar Park represented their high schools at provincials, hosted by Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School.
Visit www.asaa.ca for the provincial results.
