The PACI boys volleyball team is set to make school history at 4A Provincials this weekend. (submitted photo/Ashley Kosolowsky)

By Logan Lehmann

Making history

PACI boys volleyball team heading to provincials for first time

Nov 22, 2022 | 12:32 PM

For the first time in school history, PACI’s boys’ volleyball team is heading to provincials.

The team will head to Meadow Lake this weekend where they, along with nine other schools from across the province, will go head-to-head in hopes of coming out on top as provincial champions.

Captain of the team, Thomas Pedersen, said things started out slow for PACI this season, but eventually they found their stride and earned a spot to play in provincials.

“We started the season a bit rough, but we had to trust in the process,” he said. “The whole thing has been a great experience. This means a lot to me, I worked very hard to get to this point and to help my team get here.”

The team finished second in regionals this past weekend in Melfort which allowed them to clinch a spot in the provincial tournament.

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PACI finished the regional tournament with a 2-2 record having lost to Melfort both times, once in the round-robin and again in the finals. With Melfort attending the same provincial tournament this weekend, Pedersen hopes they can get revenge on the Comets.

“The first game we played against them was pretty rough, we lost pretty badly,” he said. “The boys really want to win against Melfort and so do I.”

Head coach of the PACI boys’ volleyball team, Ashley Kosolowsky said she couldn’t be any prouder of her team.

“It’s absolutely thrilling,” she said. “To be able to watch a team grow and change and develop their skill and to also work outside of school and be able to develop their skill is huge and exciting. I’m unbelievably proud of this team and how much they’ve worked. They’ve worked their butts off to get to this point and I am extremely proud.”

PACI has a tougher slate than what they had in regionals where they are set to face unfamiliar schools like Central High School from Moose Jaw and Marion M. Graham Collegiate from Saskatoon.

When asked about what the team has been doing to prepare for this tournament, Kosolowsky said that it’s all about the mind games.

“Our biggest thing is making sure our mentality stays strong,” she said. “We have been a super strong mental team where we make sure that our focus is having fun and staying engaged. Our skill is always important but staying strong mentally is our biggest focus for sure.”

PACI begins its provincial title run at 2 p.m. on Friday against Moose Jaw’s Vanier High School. The gold medal game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Other P.A. high schools like Carlton and St. Mary had their boys’ volleyball provincials this past weekend in Swift Current where the Marauders placed fourth and the Crusaders finished seventh. Carlton and St. Mary’s girls’ volleyball provincials are also taking place this weekend in Balgonie and White City near Regina.

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann