Ballenas boys volleyball coach Shari McKee said the team got off to a slow start before picking up steam late in the season.
Fittingly, that also describe’s the team’s 2-1 win over Cowichan Secondary School Thursday in both schools’ final tune-up for this week’s North Island Championships on Saltspring Island. The win was the fourth straight for the Whalers as they enter the North Islands bidding for a top-four finish and a berth into the Vancouver Island Championships the following week at Mark Isfeld Secondary in Comox.
“We’re on a roll right now,” McKee said before the match. “It started off slow. We have a lot of kids who are new to volleyball; the learning curve is really steep.”
The Whalers proved quick studies in Thursday’s 23-25, 25-20, 15-8 win over the visiting T-birds.
The see-saw opening game was marked by a rash of service errors that cost the hosts points and ball possession. Playing from behind most of the game, Ballenas did take brief, one-point leads of 15-14, 19-18 and, finally, 23-22. But a service error and a passing error put Cowichan back in front to stay.
The T-birds jumped to a quick 4-0 lead in the second game, but the Whalers methodically battled back behind the serving of Michael McKee and the hitting of Corben Franklin. Ballenas took the lead for good at 16-15 on one of Franklin’s five kills in the game, which sparked a 9-3 run that put the host team in control.
Ballenas attacker Noah Elliott, right, strikes a shot against the defence of Cowichan’s Keenan Menzel (72) during their senior boys volleyball match at Ballenas Thursday. — Image credit: J.R. Rardon/PQB NEWS
In the third and deciding game, it was the Whalers’ turn to race out of the gate, and they never looked back after grabbing a 7-1 lead to start the proceedings.
The teams stayed on the floor for a fourth, exhibition game, and Ballenas maintained its momentum with a comfortable 25-11 win.
“I’m really optimistic about this team going to the Islands,” said McKee, who coaches the team along with her husband Kevin McKee and recent Ballenas alum Brad Harvey. “All of these guys are multi-sport athletes, which really pays off in understanding how to compete. Not only the physical part of it, but mentally, knowing how to handle pressure.”
Franklin finished the match with six kills and two aces. Michael McKee had four aces and two kills, including the clinching shot in the second game. Noah Elliott had a team-high three blocks to go with a kill and an ace, and wreaked havoc at the net along with teammates Kieran Bowles, Anthony Rodway and Jonas Vonderlind.
