The Reynolds Roadrunners didn’t make it to the final, but their end came at the hands of finalist Kelowna Owls at the provincial AAA boys volleyball championships in Langley last weekend.
Reynolds met Kelowna in the quarterfinals, with the Owls prevailing in four sets, 3-1.
It was a strong run for the Roadrunners, who beat Mt. Boucherie in the round robin but were unable to win a set against Dover Bay and Seaquam.
Reynolds surprised Moscrop in the quarterfinal, winning in four sets, 3-1, before falling to Kelowna.
The Owls then beat Dover Bay but lost in a tiebreaker, 16-14, to Semiahmoo for the gold medal. Reynolds then lost to Walnut Grove and Killarney, falling to eighth.
The Claremont Spartans also made it to the playoff round of the AAA boys provincials. The Spartans beat Penticton but fell to Killarney and Delta. Claremont then lost to Mount Baker 3-1 in the preliminary playoff round. The early ousting put the Spartans in the bottom bracket, where they edged David Thompson for 19th, avoiding the wooden spoon.
The Lambrick Park Lions and Pacific Christian Pacers made it to the quarterfinals for the AA boys volleyball provincials where both met their end. The Pacers won just one set (against Dutchess Park) in the round robin, falling to Dutchess, College Heights and George Elliot. Despite that, the team nearly derailed McRoberts, the first place team from their pool, though the Pacers lost 3-2 in a 15-8 tiebreaker in the quarterfinal. The Pacers then recovered their tournament by winning three straight in the consolation bracket. The team beat Smithers 2-0, Mark Isfeld 2-1 and Prince Charles 2-0 to finish ninth.
Lambrick went undefeated in pool play, beating both Richmond and W.L. Seaton in tie-breaking third sets by a score of 15-11. They also beat Smithers in straight sets, 25-7 and 25-20. Lambrick’s shot at a title ended when they lost in straight sets to Langley Fundamental in the quarterfinal. They then dropped their consolation opener to Mark Isfeld in two sets but came back to beat Smithers 2-0 and Richmond 2-1 for 13th.
Langley Christian won the AA title.
The Mount Douglas Rams senior girls, the reigning Island champs, made it to sixth at the AAAA girls volleyball provincials.
The Rams went undefeated (3-0) in the round robin, beating Killarney, Mission and Mt. Baker without losing a single set. The Rams then won their opening round playoff game 3-0 over West Vancouver. The run at an elusive B.C. title ended at the hands of Semiahmoo in the quarterfinals, as the latter prevailed 17-15 in a nail-biting fifth-set tiebreaker.
Bouncing back, the Rams beat Kelowna in three sets, 2-1, but then lost to Lord Tweedsmuir in the fifth-place match, leaving the Rams in sixth.
Langford’s Belmont Bulldogs defeated Handsworth for the AAAA gold medal.
Junior Rams fall short
The Mount Douglas Rams made it to the final but lost to the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers 17-14 at the AAA junior football championship at B.C. Place on Saturday.
The appearance continued an eight-year run in which either the junior or senior Rams team made it to the final, winning seven titles.
The Rams won the second half and showed a lot of physical toughness in their comeback, but fell just a little short, said program co-ordinator Mark Townsend.
