The Caledonia Jr. Girls Volleyball team took the top spot at the Skeena Middle School volleyball tournament held over the first weekend in November.
The home team Skeena took third behind Kitimat’s Mount Elizabeth Secondary School (MESS).
The tournament was good for Skeena, said coach Frank Marrelli, because it allowed the players to play in a challenging environment with teams that are a bit older and more experienced—most of the other teams are a combination of Grade 9’s and 10’s, while Skeena’s is only Grade 9’s.
In the tournaments the team’s been winning on the road, specifically the ones in Prince George, it’s been up against other Grade 9’s, which has allowed the players to remain competitive.
The home tournament was “a good challenge for Skeena and a good warm-up for zones,” he said.
Skeena took MESS’s B team in two sets in the first match, and lost to Smithers in the second round robin in a very close three set match, meaning it played Caledonia in the other pool in the playoffs.
It was a close match, but ultimately, he says his team panicked and lost in three sets.
For its part, Caledonia played MESS first, winning two straight sets, then went up against Bulkley Valley Christian from Smithers, winning in three sets.
After the win against Skeena, the team met up with MESS again in the final, winning in two straight sets.
“I would generally say my team was a more consistent team in terms of basic skills than the others on that day,” said Cal coach Adri MacKay of her undefeated team.
“Lots of good volleyball was played and good sportsmanship demonstrated by all teams for sure.”
Both teams were away at provincial zones last weekend in Houston.
Check in with the Terrace Standard next week to see those results.
