Charles Hays’ girls volleyball teams travelled to Terrace to participate in play days on Oct. 21. Both coaches were looking to fine-tune their team’s skills ahead of zones.
Junior girls
Head coach Paula Picard said the team has been working hard on its defensive coverage and offensive execution, and was hoping to see progress against teams the Rainmakers could potentially face in zone competition.
The team’s first game of the weekend was against Smithers Secondary School, a team whose record is similar to theirs, and who they will likely have to beat if they want maximize their chances of going to provincials this year. The Rainmakers lost the matchup in two close games. Picard said the two teams were evenly matched, but Smithers’ serving was what separated them.
“Their serving was on point which gave them an advantage,” she said. “Also, we had some players coming back from injury which threw the team off. We were trying to find our feet.”
In their next matchup, the Rainmakers defeated Bulkley Valley Christian Acedemy in two strong games. Picard said playing against a smaller, less experienced group helped put her team over the top, but serving was still an issue for the team.
“The girls played well,” she said. “The played consistent, but the serving was a challenge too.”
The Rainmaker’s final game was against Hazelton, which they lost in two games. Picard said, the team started off the game slowly, and couldn’t battle back in time at the end to seal the win.
“The first game got away from us,” she said. “The second game, we staged a bit of a comeback towards the end and we got some momentum back, but it was a little too late.”
The junior team will compete in a play day in Terrace on Nov. 4. Picard said the Rainmakers have come a long way, but they still need to work on their fundamentals such as passing and serving if they want to achieve more success.
“If you don’t get the ball up, you’re not going to get a chance to hit the ball,” she said. “But when I challenge them to learn a new task they generally step up and do it, so it’s just repetition now.”
Senior girls
Charles Hays’ senior girls volleyball team was also in Terrace on Oct. 21. The team was looking to build on encouraging progress they have made since the season’s first few games. Coach Karina Dracott said she was pleased to see her team playing together and up to the level of their competition.
“They had a positive attitude, and really came together which was nice to see,” she said.
The senior Rainmakers first game was against Smithers, a zone rival who had beaten them earlier in the season. CHSS won comprehensively in two games 25-14 and 25-14. Dracott said she was particularly pleased with the win as they are in the same pool, and will have to probably have to beat them if they want to go to provincials.
“The girls were ready to play, had a lot of energy and played a strong offensive game and were able to execute different plays on offense,” she said. “It was a good confidence boost that we were able to beat them so handily.”
The team’s second game was against Mount Elizabeth School, a new team from Kitimat. The Rainmakers took control of that match early, winning the first game 25-8. Dracott said she was able to use the cushion to give her other players time on the court. She added she was impressed that some of the newer players were able to work with the team’s starters so well. They won the second game 25-8 to win the match.
The final game was against Caledonia Secondary School from Terrace, who Dracott said were the top team in the zone with the best offence. CHSS lost the game in two sets 25-8 and 25-11 despite engaging in some exciting, high level rallies.
“They were playing at a high level, but the girls didn’t get disheartened,” she said. “We have to get our defense up to the level to match that offence.”
Dracott said the team would be working on tightening up it’s defence as it prepares to host a play day on Nov. 4 at Charles Hays Secondary School.
