The Kalamalka Lakers went 3-0 in preliminary play, earning a bye into the semifinals at the Okanagan Valley Senior AA Girls Volleyball Championships Friday in Kamloops.
Kal opened with a convincing straight-sets victory (25-6, 25-13) over the George Elliot Coyotes of Winfield.
Megan Squair orchestrated the No. 5 ranked Lakers’ attack, providing great sets to Emily Thorlakson and Vicki Schley. The Lakers overpowered the Coyotes with strong serving from Kaelyn Parmelee and Kaely Johnson. Hustle plays from Sam Bienias allowed the offence to roll.
Kal then rolled the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops in two straight, 25-12 and 25-13.
Daralyn Schepp played a strong all-around game. She had several kills that were too much for the Vikings to handle. Ann Stewart kept the Lakers going with some key hits and blocks.
The Vikes pushed back in the second set, but Schley served Valleyview off the court.
Kalamalka clinched the top spot in the pool with a 2-0 win over the Merritt Panthers.
“They controlled the play all day and dominated their opponents,” said Kal head coach Jeff Huggins.
Meanwhile, the host Fulton Maroons were eliminated from the junior boys volleyball Valleys Friday.
Karen Bedard’s Maroons had a promising start to the tourney, beating the Mount Boucherie Bears of West Kelowna in three sets (26-24, 22-25, 16-14), however three-set losses to the Pen-Hi Lakers and NorKam Saints saw them finish last in their pool.
Fulton’s starting setter injured his ankle in warmup and was unable to play.
Boucherie won the pool, followed by Pen-Hi in second and NorKam in third. In the B pool, the Princess Margaret Mustangs of Penticton clinched first, with the Kelowna Owls and Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops rounding out the top three. The Revelstoke Rams were eliminated.
