Chemainus Secondary School’s senior girls volleyball team finished 10th in the Island A championships at Duncan Christian School.
The 12-team event began Friday with round robin competition.
Chemainus started strong with a 25-10, 25-7 victory over Stz’uminus and then lost a hard-fought battle against North Island, 25-13, 25-21.
The round robin concluded with a 25-11, 25-8 defeat against Port Hardy for third place in Pool C and a spot in the consolation round.
Chemainus was victorious over St. John’s, the fourth-place finisher in Pool B, 25-17, 23-25, 15-3 in a tight battle until the third game.
That led to a match against Aspengrove and the Chemainus girls put up a good fight in a 30-28, 25-18 setback.
Sienna Waller of Chemainus was named a tournament all-star for her consistent efforts throughout the tournament.
The girls did a great job during the short season under the direction of coach Kelsey Bell, considering there was no season with games against other schools last year due to COVID and their experiences were reduced to in-house competition.
“The girls battled through a lot this year, new COVID protocols, team injuries, equipment delays and no access to our gym,” noted Bell. “We have been flexible and creative this year. Our small team was fortunate to have access to Chemainus Elementary’s gym while the secondary’s gym is in repairs. We had been practicing there after school.
“The girls showed dedication all season long. They played their best volleyball this Friday/Saturday. They showed improvement in every area and I am so proud of them. The adaptable Nyah Healey took on a new position and stood tall at the net. Kassidy Rankin once again was our defensive force. Nevaeh Macdougall and Sydney Lyderik led our blocking, Maggie Fraser’s serves kept us in games and Bianca Elias was our break out hitter. All offensive plays were possible through our all-star player of the tournament, our setter, Sienna Waller. Resiliency and hard work were shown this year and displayed on the court.”
Nanaimo Christian School won the tournament and advanced to provincials along with the runner-up, host Duncan Christian School. Cedar came third, Lake Cowichan fourth, Port Hardy fifth, Brookes sixth, Brodeur and North Island shared seventh, Aspengrove was ninth, Chemainus 10th, St. John’s 11th and Stz’uminus 12th.
