Spirits Take City Crown In Match Right Down To The Wire - Photo Essay And Story
Photos and Story by Robert Thomas
The Vanier Spirits may have been the odds on favourites to be crowned high school senior girls city league volleyball champions but it was no cake walk.
The underdog Peacock Toilers would not go quietly and it would take a tie breaker set for the Spirits to be crowned city champions with a 3 - 2 score.
The set scores were 25 - 9, 17 - 25, 25 - 20, 23 - 25 and 15 - 8.
The championship came down to inches. A simple miss either way could have well meant an altogether different outcome.
Vanier Spirits head coach aly bell reacts to the spirits winning the first set - mj independent photo
“I didn’t expect anything less from Peacock,” Vanier Spirits head coach Aly Bell said.
“They came out fighting like we know they were going to. They’ve been getting better and better and better throughout the season. They are coached so well you could expect anything less,” Bell said.
She said that the Spirits poor play in the second set was the result of overconfidence by herself and the team.
Vanier spirits Kensington Demassi digs a ball back in bounds that was headed out of bounds - mj independent photo
“In the second game I think we got a little bit cocky. I got a little bit cocky and they came back, swinging. Which we should’ve known or rather, we should have continued to fight.”
Bell said the Spirits have been concentrating on their mental game.
“We have been honing in on her mental game in our perseverance, and it came out tonight. We proven we can keep going. We can keep fighting and we took the win.”
“You never know what you’re going to get…they were playing well. They were playing really, really well.”
Vanier spirits Ava kindiak - mj independent photo
Bell said Tuesday evenings win, as well as the Spirits win at regionals are good omens heading into provincials this coming Friday and Saturday put more work needs to be done.
“We are on a roll right now winning at regionals and then winning tonight, that feels good, but we’re going to have to get to work tomorrow and Thursday before we play on Friday to really fine tune what we need to find tune.”
Bell pointed to the challenging teams from schools in northern Saskatchewan that way up against it this weekend’s provincial finals.
Vanier spirits Ava Gibbs watches a ball go out of bounds - mj independent photo
Vanier is ranked number one going into provincials this Friday and Saturday.
“In saying that I know John Paul from North Battleford and Martinsville our two very good teams will be up against that are going to be putting up a fight against us,” she said.
What the Spirits took out of or learnt in Tuesday evening’s was their “mental game and continuing to fight.”
“When we get up on people, not to think we just have it in the bag and don’t have to fight like we can,” Bell said.
The battles near the net were intense - mj independent photo
For Peacock Toilers head coach Lorne Polupski despite the loss was a tough one he was very proud in the effort his team put into the match.
“We played awesome tonight. We played awesome on the weekend (in regionals) I can’t ask for anymore than that,” Polupski said.
Asked about how close it was - just a missed spike and set here and there costing the victory Polupski said it was close.
The battles near the net were intense - mj independent photo
The large and loud crowd was something Polupski had to point out.
“Just a little miss here and there. Vanier is the same. It was a really good battle. That is what you want for a city final. The cheapest and best entertainment in town. How many people did you have in here tonight? Five or six hundred? It’s amazing I couldn’t even hear myself calling timeouts. It was great.”
“This is what school sports is all about. I love the stuff man,” Polupski said.
“It was a great match. How many grade 12s do they have over there? That’s a very skilled grade 12 ladened team over there.”
Peacock Toilers head coach Lorne Polupski speaks to the team during a time out - mj independent photo
A major factor for the Toilers success this season has been the players improving continually over this season.
“They’ve improved so much this season. I know it’s the start of the year. Yeah you’re right we got hammered by Central but throughout the year, we’ve been just working harder and harder. These girls, our grade 12s are good leaders and the girls got better throughout the year and worked their butts off,” he said. great
Vanier Spirits fan with their Vikings headgear - mj independent photo
Despite missing the provincials this weekend Polupski said there are no hard feelings because that’s sport.
“We wish them the best at provincials. You no go Moose Jaw.”
Vanier Spirits Kensington Demassi sets the ball - mj independent photo
Polupski said he was not looking forward to next year but he looks forward to all years.
“I’m looking forward to every year I don’t want to leave this year yet. I’m still enjoying the season with these girls. They’re amazing.”
Given his Chuck Norris volleyball moment - Lorne Polupski can squeeze orange juice out of a lemon - he laughed stating it was not really him but the girls who make it happen.
“It’s always the girls who rise to the occasion. It’s not so much me but my two assistant coaches who are amazing. Those girls every year are just like understanding what we want to do and just get better and better throughout the year.”
Peacock toilers Rayleigh petruic misses a spike - mj independent photo
The 4A senior girls volleyball championship goes this coming Friday and Saturday with local teams competing at 12 pm.
All games go at Vanier Collegiate.
For a schedule click the link.
