Simple math helped lift Vernon Sky U17 girls volleyball team to the bronze medal in their division at the 2019 Canadian National Club Championships in Toronto.
A total of 112 teams attend the national finals, separated into three division. Sky was in the 48-team Division 3, where they opened with three wins and no losses in their pool, then followed that up with two wins and a first loss against Niagara, Ont.
Going into playoffs on the third day was a ‘win or go home’ situation, and coach Kyle Brewer said his girls didn’t want their season to end yet.
“So they won some close matches and got us all the way to the semifinals,” said Brewer, where Vernon suffered a tough third-set loss to Phoenix Club of Toronto.
Feeling a bit defeated and exhausted from playing nine matches in three days, the girls were told they had to play the bronze medal game immediately on another court.
The bronze-medal game vs Toronto West started off with Sky winning the first set handily 25-18. In the second set the Sky girls showed some fatigue and lost 18-25. The third and deciding set, said Brewer, was something magical.
“Ten matches in three days is not easy, and being a game of inches sometimes things don’t go your way,” he said. “The Sky girls went through some ups and downs in the third set and took a time out down 8-13.
This is where the arithmetic comes in.
Coach Brewer looked at the tired girls and tried to keep the mood light by saying ,”It’s simple math girls; we just need to get seven points before they get two.”
This brought a bit of laughter and hope that the game wasn’t over yet. The girls went on a point streak and tied things up 14-14. The next few points were stressful, with either team not wanting to go home yet. Match point came with Jessica Grages serving to her target, the ball set to the middle hitter on the other team and Payton Hansma reaching over the net to block the ball to the ground on the other side to win by a score of 17-15.
The Sky girls jumped and screamed and celebrated a very hard-fought team win. The parents on the sideline were also seen jumping up and hugging each other, a few tears shed for the effort the girls showed all weekend.
“There is something to be said about winning your last match of a season, the next 24 hours were filled with so many emotions,” said Brewer. “Proud to have won a bronze medal at nationals, love for their coaches/teammates, and sad that the season is over.”
Vernon Sky U17 members include Brewer, Lenai Schmidt (assistant coach), Hansma, Grages, Averi Gill, Ashley Budgen, Megan Bubela, Sarah Beka, Rebecca Haberstock, Jamie Nicholls, Shaylee Hunter, Courtney Unger, Marika Ternan and Taylor Francks.
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