(Photo 579206 © Vladimir Kindrachov | Dreamstime.com)

By Logan Lehmann

Set, Spike, Score

Year in Review: Historic year for volleyball in PA

Dec 30, 2022 | 8:00 AM

As 2022 draws to a close, paNOW is taking a look back on the most important and impactful stories of the year, as selected by our reporters and editorial staff.

Gymnasiums at schools across the province were kept busy throughout 2022 with kids keeping active while having fun on the court.

One of the more popular sports of the year was volleyball which saw lots of success in Prince Albert, from players and teams winning gold on the national stage to local teams accomplishing historic firsts.

Some of PA’s finest volleyball players got the experience of a lifetime this past summer when they were selected to be a part of Team Saskatchewan at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ontario.

Coming off a gold medal at the Canada Cup a few weeks prior to the games, the boys won gold in volleyball yet again which had three local boys on the team which includes Ethan Smith, Brock Tomyn, and Noah Opseth. The team toppled their rival Team Alberta in the finals of the games, winning three sets to one (25-21, 25-17, 25-27, 25-22).

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Prince Albert was also represented on the girls’ team as well with Seanna Trumier being the lone player from the area. The girls placed one off the podium in fourth after falling to Team BC in the bronze medal game in straight sets (25-21, 25-23, 25-23).

Prince Albert was well represented at the 2022 Canada Games with three players on the boys team, and one on the girls team. (Sask Volleyball/Facebook)

Although none of the teams from PA took home gold, local clubs still had their own success this year by making history with deep playoff and provincial runs.

One of those teams was the St. Mary Marauders Sr. Girls team who came away with silver at 5A Provincials near Regina. The Marauders finished the round-robin undefeated having only lost one set across four games. The Blue and Silver managed to stay undefeated through the first and second rounds by defeating PA’s Carlton Crusaders and Balgonie’s Greenall Griffins in straight sets.

However, their magical run came to an end in the finals when they met the also undefeated Saskatoon Holy Cross Crusaders who swept the Marauders in the finals in consecutive sets 25-11, 25-21 to win the title.

St. Mary’s Sr. Girls volleyball team with their hardware after falling in the 5A Provincial Championship on Nov. 26, 2022. (Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association/Facebook)

PACI’s boys’ volleyball team etched their names into their school’s history book by qualifying for 4A Provincials, the highest-level tournament the school has ever participated in.

The team first qualified for provincials after finishing second at the regional tournament a week prior in Melfort. PACI made it to the finals after finishing the round-robin at 1-1 and defeating the one-seeded Senator Myles Venne (Martensville) in straight sets 25-15, 25-15. In the gold medal match, the boys lost to the host Melfort Comets 2-0 (25-14, 25-14).

While at provincials, however, the team struggled to find success on the court and missed the playoffs after finishing the round-robin 0-4. The host team Meadow Lake went on to win the tournament, defeating North Battleford’s John Paul II Crusaders 2-0 (25-22, 25-18).

PACI’s boys volleyball team made history at 4A Provincials, the highest level tournament the school has ever participated in. (Submitted photo/Ashley Kosolowsky)

Lastly, the U17 En Fuego girls team came away with gold earlier this year at the 2022 Youth National Championships in Edmonton.

The team got off to a slow start at the tournament winning just one of their first six matches in the preliminary and round-robin stages combined. But the girls found their groove and rallied for four straight wins in the Tier 4 playoffs where they eventually downed the Canada West 17U Blues in straight sets 25-18, 25-17 in the finals to win National Gold.

The U17 En Fuego girls won the Div. 3, Tier 4 gold medal at the 2022 Youth National Championships. (Submitted photo/Carmen Doell Dogniez)

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann