The YRHS senior girls volleyball team came that close to winning their one and only home tournament of the year.
After going the distance against two powerhouse schools from Prince Albert (Carlton) and Oxbow, the Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) Lady Raiders advanced into the finals against what coach Lee Poncelet said was a strong team from Weyburn.
On their way to the finals, each of their sets with Prince Albert and Oxbow went the distance, with YRHS falling in the third game. In the finals, Weyburn won both games to take the set 2-0, he said.
Poncelet said the girls qualified for the playoffs and did quite well against Prince Albert, going the distance in the set which determined a winner by way of a best-of-three games won.
YRHS won the set 2-1 in what Poncelet said was a "very tight" set. The third game went in Yorkton's favour, 18-16.
He added that there was no one player whose performance stuck out and it was a team effort.
"They all did (stand out) to be honest with you."
That win put the Lady Raiders in the semi-finals where they played Oxbow in another best-of-three.Poncelet said they were a good team allthough not quite as strong as Prince Albert was.
"They're not as big and skilled (as Prince Albert)" but were "feisty" and they "served tough".
For the second straight set, this went the distance with YRHS winning in the third game by two points.
"It was kind of like sudden death," he said Monday. "The Gr. 12s definitely showed some leadership."Poncelet's Gr. 12s on the roster includes Taylor Trost, Lindsay Shumay, Jenna Jarvis, Tara Dubnyk, Jennifer Hudye, Kienna Sharp.
The Gr. 11s include Hana Ruf, Emma Lockhart, Brandi Neibrandt, Karissa McBride and Brittany Brenzen. Jodi Onda-Inglis made the team as a Gr. 10 student.
