Volleyball is officially back for the year and it is clear with the number of teams in attendance at the eighth annual Mega Volley tournament, the sport is a priority for many young girls and coaches throughout the region.
With 17 teams in attendance this year, more than 200 volleyball players filled the gymnasiums of Carlyle, Arcola and Manor. Being the eighth year of the tournament, organizer Trent Johnson said the tournament went very smoothly. "The invitations for the tournament are sent out in April and within a week or two, the tournament is essentially scheduled. As for the actual event, I have great support from staff, my players, and parents who make things go very smoothly" said Johnson.
"Most of the teams are from the south east district, with additional teams coming from Langenburg, Holdfast and even Yorkton. Most of the teams are senior teams, with a couple of intermediate teams from schools with higher populations."
With the tournament starting on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 9 and continuing through Saturday, the teams had the opportunity to play a number of games before league games are scheduled to start. "The best things about hosting the event early in the season is the number of matches each team gets so early in the season" said Johnson. In total, each team played between 12 and 18 games during the two-day tournament.
"A good mix of teams comes to Mega Volley. With our tiered playoff format, everyone gets a chance to play teams of a similar calibre by the end of the weekend, which is definitely an advantage of our tournament" said Johnson.
"The teams are divided into three pools of six teams that play in Arcola, Manor and Carlyle. After the round robin, the top two teams from each pool advance to the Tier One Championship in Carlyle. Third and fourth placed teams advance to the Tier Two Championship in Arcola, while fifth and sixth placed teams advance to the Tier Three Championship in Manor."
This year, the champion of the 2011 Mega Volley was the Rocanville Brash who beat out the Estevan Elecs to claim the title.
As for Mega Volley, it is over until next year. Local teams will continue to practice as they look forward to this year's provincials, most of which will take place during the third weekend of November. With a weekend full of plenty of volleyball, Johnson sent out a "big thank you to the parents of the Cougar Volleyball team, as well to the players for their commitment and dedication to Cougar Volleyball."
