Spirits Wrack Up Another Win
We do a game review and finish up our series about the teams’ seasons and goals
By Robert Thomas
The high flying Vanier Spirits senior girls volleyball team wracked up a win - the Spirits are undefeated - managing to gain altitude and swooping in to victory against the Cornerstone Christian School Falcons on Wednesday evening.
Easily the biggest Cinderella story in high school senior girls volleyball, the Falcons - last year’s junior girls champions - came out strong in the first set defeating the Spirits.
But in three consecutive sets the glass slipper came off and despite the best efforts to make a hasty escape in a grand coach the Falcons lost the final three sets as the Spirits used power to fly to a 3 - 1 set victory.
The set scores were:
Cornerstone 25 Vanier 18
Cornerstone 15 Vanier 25
Cornerstone 11 Vanier 25
Cornerstone 23 Vanier 25
Coming out as strong as they did and winning the first set came as a shock even for Lee Behrns the Cornerstone Christian School Falcons head coach.
“We won set one and I think we kind of shocked ourselves,” Behrns said, adding “Then all of a sudden in set two we were still flying high and they came out and punished us pretty good in two of the three. Then we battled back in game four and almost took it to five. So we were happy with our effort tonight.”
“Vanier is an exceptional team and definitely a veteran squad that you could definitely see it on the court,” he said.
The 4A Vikings team’s senior backbone is complimented by bringing up two grade 10s not to sit on the bench but into the main roster.
For the Falcons - who have no grade 12 players on the roster - it was a strong showing against the league leading and heavily senior weighted Spirits.
Falcons Flying High This Season
It’s all part of the story of the Falcons this season.
After winning last year’s junior girls city crown the decision was made to move into the senior girls ranks this season.
It’s a move that has paid off as a team of grade 10s and 11s, the backbone of last seasons junior success, are right in the thick of the competitive fight to make the top pool.
“It’s been looking good. I’ve been real happy with the girls. We have been to four tournaments and won gold in all four. League obviously we are the smallest school by far we are sitting at 2A here but for the girls to come and battle these big schools it’s been a lot of fun,” Behrns said.
For the Falcons the season goals were simply to try to be competitive and just win a game.
So far the team has succeeded on both accounts.
The Falcons defeated the Briercrest Christian Academy Cougars 3 - 2 in the opening week.
And last week they defeated the second place Central Cyclones 3 - 1 after losing the first set in front of a Central Collegiate crowd.
Wednesday evening’s showing of winning the first set and coming close to forcing a fifth and deciding set against undefeated Vanier showed Cornerstone is a big signpost pointing to the Falcons’ competitiveness.
The Falcons see six returnees in grades 10 and grades 11 and two grade 9 students on this season’s 10 player roster.
“For the girls last year was a very successful year in junior. We were city champs so we decided we have got to go senior and it’s been fun playing senior this year,” he said.
Behrns said despite being the school with the smallest student body to draw from (Cornerstone is 2A) that playing senior this season has “just been an enjoyable season” so far.
It’s an overall competitiveness throughout the Moose Jaw city league which Behrns sees as a bit of a surprise.
With the league going to pool play this season - a move designed to allow the less competitive teams the opportunity to play equally qualified teams - the Falcons had the opportunity to jump into the top pool.
Something they never dreamed of when the decision was made to put all of the school’s efforts into a senior girl’s squad.
“It could be a three way tie between the teams at two and three. We will find out tonight and if that happens Levi (Broda senior girls volleyball league commissioner) will have to break the tie.”
If the Falcons get into tier one it would be a major surprise not only for the league but the team itself.
“For us either or other it doesn’t matter. We didn’t expect to make tier one at the start of the the year so getting a couple of wins shocked us. If we are in tier two then we have got to work our way back up into the playoffs.”
Effect Of Local Volleyball Club Play
Despite not having any grade 12s on the roster the Falcons have massively benefited from the Moose Jaw volleyball club seasons.
“Some of these girls really worked hard in club in the off season and you could see that right off the get go winning our first tournament on the first weekend,” he said.
“I just had two practices with them. They were still conditioned and it seemed like they were still feeling the club season really fresh in their minds. It really helped.”
Behrns reiterated the words of Peacock Toilers head coach - and president of the non-profit Thunder Creek Volleyball Club - the impact club play has had on local high school volleyball.
He commented further the huge impact the non-profit volleyball clubs have had on the high school program.
“Normally you are done the (high school) season in November and you don’t see a volleyball until next September. These club girls are playing into June and basically they (only) have July and August without a volleyball so when they come back in September they are ready to fly.”
The Falcons have four players - 40 percent of their roster - who play volleyball with a club in the high school volleyball offseason.It is showing in other teams in the league as well Behrns said.
“You can see it with all of the teams. The club girls are really developed and it sure helps to create some wild volleyball games.”
The talent on the Falcons though extends past the girls who are part of a non-school volleyball club - the small school had some great student athletes.
“The other girls are just great athletes who are very coachable,” Behrns said.
Tough Competition Is Good
As stated earlier the Falcons goal was not to reach the playoffs but simply win a single match. The team was hoping the experience of playing 4A teams would pay off in later dividends.
“Our goal was if we could win one game in senior we would be happy. We said let’s go out and be competitive. It’s going to make us better. We are hoping for a longer 2A provincial run and this helps.”
The tough and competitive league is the correct prescription for the Falcons.
“We are pretty blessed here in Moose Jaw to play in an awesome league. Then we ho on to 2A where most 2A schools just play tournaments and don’t see great 4A and 5A teams like we do.”
The competition in the Moose Jaw city league - despite the potential of seeing the smaller to draw from student body at Cornerstone - has pushed the Falcons to try harder.
“Moose Jaw teams are 4A but they are also perennial provincial contenders here in Moose Jaw. For us to play teams we know who compete at the provincial level is awesome. It does make us more competitive.”
About the other surprising team in this year’s Moose Jaw senior girls city league - the Briercrest Christian Academy Cougars - Behrns said they are highly competitive.
Despite not winning a match the Cougars have taken three teams into fifth and deciding set play.
“We had a good match with them it went to five sets and could have come out either way. They have a good team.”
In other high school senior girls volleyball action the Briercrest Christian Academy Cougars, a tough competitor, nearly bumped off the Central Cyclones.
The final score was Cyvlones 3 sets and the Cougars 2 sets.
Editor’s Note - we would like to thank the senior girls volleyball teams for having us out this season.
We are hoping our limited coverage has assisted you in some way as expanded media coverage arrives for the playoffs.