Volleyball fans witnessed the first monster comeback of the season in Super Volley action at Vanier Catholic Secondary School on Wednesday.
After dropping the first two sets, the F.H. Collins Warriors came back to defeat the Vanier Crusaders 20-25, 17-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-12.
It was the senior girls team’s first win of the regular season after a 3-1 loss to the Porter Creek Rams two weeks ago.
“We’ve talked a lot about having to be louder on the court - communicate - and as the match went on we got a little louder and they started talking to each other a little bit more,” said Warriors head coach Jordan Borgford. “And (they were) trying to play three-contact volleyball, make some good plays. Vanier is a very offensive-orientated team, they swing a lot, and they hit a lot of balls out that helped us. But we were playing better defence as we went along in the match.”
The Warriors came within two points of losing at 24-24 in the third set. They won the set after a Crusaders serve went long and the Warriors’ Emily Dorosz put in a serve the Vanier team couldn’t handle.
Dorosz, who played middle and libero, was named a Game Star.
“She’s just a really solid passer; she works really hard at being technically sound on her passing platform,” said Borgford. “And she just makes really good passes.”
The Warriors went on to take the match, which was the Crusaders’ first in the regular season, on a kill from Jennifer Pierce.
“I don’t feel like anything went wrong,” said Crusaders head coach Terri Park. “What I wanted to see happening within the team and on the court was happening. There were a few errors - in a tight game some things are going to go your way or they’re not.
“Overall I was very pleased with the way the girls played.”
Named the Game Star for the Crusaders was acting captain Meghan Young.
“She stepped right up tonight with her play on the court and led really well,” said Park.
Warrior boys win in three
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After two Super Volley matches so far this season, the Warriors’ senior boys team hasn’t dropped a set.
The F.H. Collins team made it six in a row with a 25-17, 25-18, 25-22 win over the Crusaders on Wednesday. The Warriors defeated Porter Creek Rams 3-0 in both teams’ season opener two weeks ago.
“It’s nice being on the other side of things,” said Warriors head coach Shaun McLoughlin. “This is the first year in a while that we have a strong program. So instead of being that team that is trying to come back and pull off that upset-win ... It’s nice to be the experienced team, in a set that you want to win, to be able to come back and pull through.
“These guys were all Grade 11s last year for the most part. So they’re experienced and I think that’s what showed in that last set.”
The Warriors pulled off the straight-set win despite trailing 20-15 in the third set. With three big serves from Jono Runions, the Warriors pulled within one of Vanier. They then tied the game on a kill from middle Dominic Korn and took the lead on a kill from Stephen Grundmanis. Back to back spikes from Kyle Wallace gave the Warriors match-point before the Crusaders put a spike long to end the match.
“I think the boys played well,” said Crusaders head coach Dustin Shewfelt. “They are good group of guys, I enjoy coaching them.
“I think they are hot and cold sometimes ... But they dug hard through the third set. They played really well and I was proud of them in the third set.”
The Crusaders’ senior boys have some big shoes to fill. Last year’s team went undefeated in the Yukon, winning the Dawson Invitational, the Super Volley championship and the Yukon Championships.
The Warriors placed 19th out of 40 teams at the UBC High School Invitational last weekend at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. In the round-robin the Warriors placed third out of a pool of five, finishing behind teams that took second and third overall in the tournament.
Named Game Star for the Warriors on Wednesday was Korn for his big blocks, particularly in the third set.
“He’s a Grade 11 kid with not much experience but is an incredible athlete,” said McLoughlin. “We’re teaching him and it seems to be working.”
Getting the corresponding nod for the Crusaders was power Cody Park.
“He’s actually been player of the game for all our games so far,” said Shewfelt, referring to preseason play.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com