A high school volleyball tournament at Thompson Rivers University hosted some of the top talent from the Okanagan over the weekend.
Twenty-eight high school clubs, in AA and AAA divisions, tested their talents at the TRU Wolfpack Classic and the Okanagan Mission Huskies made quite the impression as they finished fourth in the tournament.
The Huskies, a AA team, rolled past some of the toughest teams in the league as they spiked their ways to the bronze medal match. Wins included a day-one beat-down of the Mt. Boucherie Bears in straight sets, a day-two nail-biter win over Penticton and an upset victory over the No. 4 College Heights of Prince George.
OKM’s victories are impressively notable as the team has only one Grade 12 player, four Grade 11’s and seven Grade 10’s and have notched wins over bigger schools with more experienced players.
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In the semi-finals match, the Huskies found themselves up against a familiar foe: the Kelowna Secondary Owls.
The Owls came into the tournament ranked as the No. 2 AAA team in the province, and the Owls experience showed in the match-up as the Huskies’ momentum finally trailed off as they lost in straight sets to the Owls.
In the succeeding bronze medal match the Huskies were pitted against Lake Country’s George Elliot Coyotes. Another top-ranked team, the Coyotes showed their experience coming from behind a set and out-lasting the Huskies to take the third podium spot.
Despite the heartbreak, the Huskies’ tournament record of 5-2 should be enough to move their provincial rankings from the 15-20 mark to a potential top 10 spot in B.C.
The B.C. volleyball championships are expected to start near the end of November.
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