Wildcats in tough as Mount Sentinel hosts BC High School A Girl's Volleyball Championships
By The Nelson Daily Sports
For the eighth time in 25 years high caliber volleyball is coming to the Kootenays.
Mount Sentinel Wildcats play host to the BC High School Girl’s A Volleyball Championships beginning Thursday at Selkirk College Gymnasium in Castlegar.
The L.V. Rogers Hangar in Nelson is co-hosting round robin games Thursday and Friday morning.
“We have a lot of teams ahead of us in the rankings . . . we are going in seeded eighth,” said Wildcats head coach Joe Moreira of the tall task ahead of the host school.
“(This is) a fair ranking on the basis of our play/results during last month,” Moreira added.
Defending champion Immaculata of Kelowna tops the 16-team field when play begins Thursday.
Cedars Christian of Prince George is ranked No. 2 followed by Richmond Christian and White Rock Christian Academy.
The top four teams begin play in Pool A.
Mount Sentinel is slotted into Pool B with fifth-ranked Kelowna Christian, Fernie and Duncan Christian.
Highroad Academy of Chilliwack, Carver Christian, Barriere, Queen Charlotte, Ucluelet, Credo Christian, Fernie Academy and Chetwynd round out the 16-team field.
“Staying healthy would be a great pre-Christmas present,” Moreira said when asked about the key to the success of the Wildcats during the tournament.
“We have focused all season (much more than in past seasons) on assigning players specific roles. Executing those roles is very much essential for our success. We are a team of eight and all eight players understand their roles and the importance of their roles to our success.”
“(Which is) easy to describe, it has not always been easy to execute,” Moreira added.
Mount Sentinel has won the provincial title four times in school history — the last time in 2007 when the school boasted both the provincial volleyball and basketball titles.
The last time Mount Sentinel hosted the tournament was in 2012 when the Wildcats edged out White Rock Christian for the bronze medal.
The Wildcats finished third last season in Kelowna — the school’s tenth bronze medal.
The Cats, losing to Fernie Falcons in the Kootenay Final, have only two seniors on the roster — Lauren Spurge and Maya Mierau.
Both players have been forced to adapt for the good of the team, with Mierau seeing her first action since an October 30th ankle injury put out of the lineup while Spurge was forced to switch positions this year to bolster the attack.
“Lauren Spurge is setting for the first time and playing middle blocker. This is not a preferred mix, but she has adapted,” Moreira explained.
“Maya Mierau is our other Grade 12. Her role is equally clear; she is our “go to hitter”. Until her ankle injury a month again she was very successful at performing her role. She has not played since October 30th.
“Thursday morning will be her first competitive test in over a month — exciting and yet loaded with pressure.”
Friday morning concludes the round robin draw before teams begin play in the knockout stage.
Playoffs continue Saturday with the final set for 7 p.m.
The Consolation match is set for 5:30 p.m.
Story originated from The Nelson Daily
