A local high school volleyball team made some history with a zone championship this past weekend.
The Our Lady of the Snows (OLS) girls’ junior varsity squad won the school’s first South Central Zones title in Brooks on Saturday (Nov. 21).
The OLS Avalanche pumped the Oilfields Drillers in two sets (both 25-18) in the finals of the tournament.
Grade 10 student Clara Terra made a “perfect cross court hit” that flirted with being out of bounds to secure the zones victory.
Eight Avalanche players entered the eight-team tournament as one of the lower ranked teams, but with pressure off and spirits high, everything “all of a sudden” came together for the team.
“We kept saying, ‘they have the potential,’ ” said coach Janell Toews. “Then they clicked in this tournament and played to their full potential and took everything that we had done over the season and it was amazing to see it come together.
“It just shows that heart can win a tournament.”
Toews added OLS connected with some big hits to back corners and sidelines in addition to smart plays in the tournament.
OLS opened with a loss to the Strathcona-Tweedmuir Spartans in three sets, but the small mountain town school gained momentum in defeat.
Three consecutive victories over the Strathmore Spartans and Didsbury Dragons, and a semifinal date with the Standard Rams, set the stage for the finals against Oilfields.
As the day progressed, OLS noticed a shift in the energy from the other teams.
“Some teams work better if they’re more focused and not being silly, but our team is kind of the opposite,” said Grade 11 student Bryanna Meggs. “We work a lot better when we’re a bit sillier and goofier. We’re still focused, but we need to crack a smile.”
The Avalanche’s unorthodox attitude elevated their game when it mattered most.
“In the end, all the teams were tired, but it came down to who would actually bring it,” said Terra.
Maria Buchko and Meggs “shut down” a big hitter from the Drillers in the final, which was the beginning of the end for Oilfields.
“Their mental game went down and ours went up,” said Buchko.
The victory marked the end of the volleyball season for the OLS girls, but the young, core group is excited for what next season has to offer.
