Ranked No. 1 all season in B.C. senior AAA boys volleyball, nothing less than another Okanagan title would have been acceptable for the KSS Owls.
Mike 厂辞诲补谤辞鈥檚 team 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 disappoint on Saturday at Mt. Boucherie Secondary, defeating the host Bears to capture their seventh consecutive valley championship.
Led by senior Spencer Doody, the Owls had a hiccup in the second set but were still too much for the Bears en route to a 3-1 win (25-16, 21-25, 25-19, 25-16.)
鈥泪迟 was a good 别蹿蹿辞谤迟,鈥� said Sodaro, the Owls head coach. 鈥渊辞耻 wonder how the guys are going to respond after a two-week layoff, but they did well.
鈥淭丑别 expectations as No.1 are tough, but I think the boys have handled it 飞别濒濒.鈥�
Both the Owls and Bears will represent the Okanagan at the B.C. AAA championships, Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 at the Langley Events Centre.
KSS will be the top seed, while Boucherie is ranked sixth.
Despite coming up short in the valley final, Bears coach John McParland likes what his team has to offer heading to provincials.
鈥淲别 can certainly play at the level of KSS but we struggle to maintain that level for an entire 尘补迟肠丑,鈥� McParland said. 鈥淭丑别 team has been getting stronger and stronger as the season progressed and I have high expectations for them going into 辫谤辞惫颈苍肠颈补濒蝉.鈥�
The Owls have been so close in recent years at provincials, winning consecutive silver medals in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
It is no secret what KSS expects of itself in 2016.
鈥淥耻谤 expectations never change, we want to win it 补濒濒,鈥� said Sodaro. 鈥泪迟鈥檚 a matter putting it all together at the right time.
"This team is right up there with the best teams 飞别鈥檝别 had. 奥别鈥檙别 deep, we have three or four guys that can come off the bench at any time and we 诲辞苍鈥檛 miss a step. Anything can happen at provincials, but if we play our best we should be right there in the 别苍诲.鈥�
11 straight for KSS 驳颈谤濒蝉鈥�
It 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 come easy, but the KSS Owls managed to make it 11 consecutive Okanagan 4A senior girls volleyball titles.
After dropping the first two sets of 厂补迟耻谤诲补测鈥檚 valley final to the Pen Hi Lakers, the Owls rallied back to win the last three sets, including a nail-biting 16-14 victory in the fifth.
Falling into a big hole early against Penticton, coach Tony Sodaro had to pull out all the stops in the comeback win.
鈥泪 tried every line up 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别,鈥� he said. 鈥泪 created a new one for the third, fourth and fifth sets.鈥�
With the win, the Owls, ranked sixth in the province, have booked a spot at the B.C. 4A girls championship, Dec. 1 to 3 at Handsworth Secondary in North Vancouver.
Despite being second at valleys, the Lakers now have to go through a wild card tournament qualifying process next week, for a chance to get to the B.C. championship.
鈥泪迟鈥檚 unfortunate that such a strong team (has to travel to a wildcard 迟辞耻谤苍补尘别苍迟),鈥� Sodaro said of the valley not being granted two provincial berths. 鈥淕辞辞诲 luck to the Pen Hi Lakers, who deserve to be in the provincials this 测别补谤.鈥�
