The Sacred Heart High School Senior Girls Volleyball team took part in the SHSAA 4A Girls Provincials this weekend in Regina.
The tournament featured the ten top teams in the province.
"We had a pretty good showing through the round robin," said team coach Perry Enns.
The Lady Saints would post a 2-2 record through their four round robin matches, finishing third in their pool.
The Lady Saints began play Friday afternoon against Nipawin winning a very tough match 25-20 and 25- 21. Morgan Shymanski was named player of the game.
In the second match SHHS faced a very powerful and tall Assiniboia team. In the first set Assiniboia took a commanding lead and won 13-25. In the second set SHHS battled back, winning 25-17 to force a third set. The Lady Saints struggled to get their offense going and lost 7-25. The final match on Friday night saw the Saints drop two straight to Macklin 15-25 and 19-25.
Saturday morning the Lady Saints faced Regina Christian school winning two straight 25-14 and 25-22.
With the round robin completed the Lady Saints headed to the playoff round.
In the quarter final the Lady Saints faced the second place team from the other pool Oxbow.
"It was kind of bad luck," offered Enns, who noted Oxbow were one of the favoured teams in the event coming in as defending provincial champions.
"They have a very strong program, a very strong team year after year."
But the Lady Saints, who last won a medal at provincials in 1984, a bronze, played the match tough.
"The first set between these two teams was one of the best of the entire weekend with huge hits, amazing digs and rally's that just wouldn't end," said Enns.
Oxbow took a very close first match 22-25.
The second set was another great match with Oxbow winning 15-25.
"It was a very good match. We had them nervous anyway," said Enns.
Oxbow eventually won Provincial gold.
Enns said Saints first trip to Provincials in years was a great experience for the entire team especially the younger players who can use this experience for next year.
"The entire team played so well this weekend, especially Grade 12 players Kaitlin Inglis, Shayla Merriam, Lauren Leshchyshyn and Rebbeca Maroquin," he said.
The Lady Saints do graduate six senior players, but Enns added the rest of the team was "a good mix of Grade 11s and 10s." He said his Grade 10 players actually got into action at provincials. "We have some young players who are quite strong this year."
That bodes well for 2013, said Enns.
