Don’t look now, but the underdog Banff Community High School girls junior varsity volleyball team is on a tear.
On their opponent’s home court, BCHS managed to upset the Canmore Collegiate High School juggernaut in a tournament consolation final on Saturday (Oct. 26) in Canmore.
After a slow start where they just squeezed through round-robin play, BCHS defeated CCHS 15-13 in their final set to take the win.
“It was a big win for us. We lost to Canmore pretty handily the last time we played them. It showed how much we improved,” said assistant coach Carly Lewis.
Both sides were evenly matched in the final, as the two sides traded points until the very last serve.
“The momentum was swinging back and forth for both teams. The difference for us is we didn’t give up when we could have,” Lewis said.
BCHS has spent much of the past month working on fundamentals and Saturday’s win was proof their hard work is paying off. Lewis said the team is working as a unit and that’s paying big dividends.
“Communication had been a focus for our games in this tournament. It came together in our final game.”
They’ll get a chance to continue their roll this weekend, when Banff hosts the next JV girls tournament. Canmore will be hungry for revenge, however, Lewis said the team is still improving and ready for the next challenge.
CCHS coach Linda McNeely was happy with her team’s performance, as they displayed flashes of brilliance through the tournament. They finished round-robin play undefeated, and proved they have a highly skilled team.
“I love that they work as a unit. They cover the court very well. They’re good friends, and that’s a big factor in a small school. They’re very skilled and athletic, and they play full on,” McNeely said.
CCHS has had success at their past two tournaments, and McNeely said they’ll continue to build, thanks to the character of the squad.
“They’re a great bunch of girls,” McNeely said.
