Blazers burn through teams at Volleydome

CALGARY – Local underdogs blazed a path to the finals at the Volleydome.

The Lawrence Grassi Middle School (LGMS) Blazers Grade 8 girls won silver at the Calgary volleyball tournament on Saturday (Oct. 19), catching teams by surprise with their teamwork and in-game evolution over the day.

“You always want to win your game, but I think we were a really underestimated team going in the tournament, so coming out second was a really big accomplishment,” said Blazer Ainsley McCaffrey.

To make the finals, McCaffrey scored a big play in the third and final set against a Calgary team, pounding down the game’s last point in dramatic fashion.

“I hit it straight down, [the ball] hit the ground, last point, [we] won the game [and went] straight to the finals. It was a really great feeling,” she said.

Riding high, the undefeated Blazers faced the Springbank Middle School Eagles in the finals of the 12-team junior regional tournament.

The local girls couldn’t keep the momentum going though and the undefeated streak was snapped after two sets of play.

Blazer coaches Claire Lakusta and Rod De Leeuw were “extremely proud of their athletes’ attitudes and conduct both on and off the court.”

“Our team improved by the minute all day long with controlled passes, successful serves and impressive smashes,” wrote Lakusta in an email. “Good communication and three hits were our goals and we achieved them.”

Bears, Avalanche fall in quarters

BANFF – Two Bow Valley senior girl volleyball teams were stopped early at a local tournament’s playoffs on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 18-19).

The Banff Community High School Bears and Our Lady of the Snows Avalanche stumbled in the Banff tournament, losing to Central Memorial Rams and Henry Wise Wood Warriors in the quarterfinals.

Bears coach Nathalie Rheaume was pleased with how her “little engine that could” team performed over the two-day tournie.

“They battled hard in all of our round robin games and in our quarterfinal game as well, so I think that’s the most we can ask at this point,” she said. “I’m really happy with how they played throughout the weekend overall.”