Yukon High School Volleyball Championships concluded with victories for F.H. Collins and CSSC Mercier.
The Yukon High School Volleyball Championships last week saw participation from all high schools in Whitehorse, as well as schools from Dawson and Inuvik in the N.W.T.
The senior girls' team from F.H. Collins emerged victorious in their division, defeating the St. Francis team in the final match. In the junior boys' division, the Mercier team won the title by overcoming F.H. Collins' junior boys' team in the final.
“St. Francis typically has a dynasty, and they sometimes win every category just about all the time. So this is a real change, a change of the dynasty,” said F.H. Collins’ head coach, Nathan Bingham.
The tournament featured 27 teams, divided into junior and senior boys' and girls' categories. Twenty teams were composed of grade nine and 10 students, while seven senior teams consisted of grade 11 and 12 students.
The senior girls' final between F.H. Collins and St. Francis had a lot of energy and momentum shifts, with the team that showed the most mental stamina coming out on top, Bingham said. F.H. Collins' senior girls’ team rebounded to take the second set.
Trailing 12-5 in the deciding set, F.H. Collins made a comeback, led by Lia Hinchey's serving and attacking, Jamie Hinchey's leadership as the tournament’s most valuable player and key hits from Mia Raymond, Bingham highlighted.
The junior boys' final between Mercier and F.H. Collins was played in the Mercier gym, with the home crowd providing a morale boost to the Mercier team, Bingham added.
The senior boys' final was also contested, according to Bingham. F.H. Collins led 13-12 when an untimely knee injury forced St. Francis's middle blocker, Zephyr, out of the game. Struggling to regain their rhythm, St. Francis fell in straight sets to F.H. Collins. Despite strong hitting from Ethan Stoker, F.H. Collins's defence, spearheaded by Maze Clemente and the leadership of Cy McDowell, secured the win, Bingham said.
Bingham also noted that the championships are not part of the physical education curriculum at F.H. Collins. Although the training and preparation take place outside regular school hours, these extracurricular activities support building school morale and culture.
The F.H. Collins senior boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams competed at a high school tournament in Edmonton earlier in the season, Bingham added.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
