Heartbreaker for Hawks at home volleyball tournament

By Brady Grove, Times Reporter

Junior A boys and girls volleyball players gathered at Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) for back-and-forth barn burner finals on Oct. 12-13.
The HCC boys battled it out on the court but lost in two straight sets to the Prairie Christian Academy (PCA) Sabres 25-20 and 25-19 to take second place of the six competing teams.
“We didn’t play up to the same level we had been playing at during the tournament,” said HCC Hawks Head Coach Joshua Jalbert. “I thought we made a bunch of little mistakes that cost us.”
In the first set, each team scored in streaks with the Sabres stronger net game finding open spots on the host’s side. The Hawks trailed by nine points before they found their rhythm and began mounting a comeback. They collected the next eight of 11 points to make it 24-20 before a serve into the net gave the Sabres the first set.
“Our serving wasn’t very good in the second set and I think cost us seven or eight points,” said Jalbert. “If we’re missing that many points there’s no way we’re going to be successful.”
The Hawks left behind the memory of the first set, quickly taking a 6-2 lead in the second set. But despite the quick start, missed serves cost the boys dearly. The Sabres retook the lead at a 12-12 tie and looked to leave the Hawks behind, but the boys crawled back in and only trailed 22-19 as they pushed for the third and deciding set. But again a serve into the net cost the host club as they dropped the final three rallies.
“A little bit disappointed (but) I’m still proud of getting silver,” said Hawks middle Owen Beekman.
The Hawks will get a chance to repay PCA when the Sabres host a tournament in the next few weeks.
The HCC girls also hosted a six-team tournament but struggled to gain traction on home court. The girls failed to pick up a single set but despite this, Hawks Head Coach Brett Warder believes the team can come together and play better in the future.
“We’ve got a lot of great players,” he said. “They just need to gel.”
The girls’ closest match was their second-round robin match against the Morrin Mustangs. The Hawks lost both sets but were right there with a tight game 25-21 and 26-24. They would eventually lose to the Mustangs in the consolation playoffs by more than 10 points each in two straight sets. According to Warder, the team had a difficult time focusing going into the final game and he hopes to improve team unity and communication on the court.
Hawks player Maia Power echoed her coach’s philosophy about what the team needs to improve upon going forward.
“Just having team spirit and just being able to shake it off and get the next ball,” said Power. “I think that’s one of the big ways to help win.”
The Hawks will head to Three Hills in two weeks for their next tournament and another chance to compete.