Port Hardy Secondary School (PHSS) and North Island Secondary School (NISS) girls volleyball teams closed out the season with success at the Vancouver Island Sr. Girls A High School Championships, held at Duncan Christian School on Nov. 12-13.
The 12 team tournament was split into three round robin pools that competed on Friday to determine seedings for playoffs on Saturday.
PHSS and NISS were in the same round robin pool, along with teams from Chemainus Secondary School and Stz’ uminus Secondary School. PHSS ended up with a 3-0 record and finished first in the pool, while NISS had a 2-1 record and a second place finish after round robin play.
Playoffs on Saturday saw PHSS lose a very close opening game to Cedar Secondary School, but the team went on to win their next two matches, finishing with five wins and one loss and a fifth place ranking, while NISS ended up in 8th place overall.Tournament MVP awards were presented to Edie McCulley and Mackenzie Moore from PHSS, and to Sidney Cote and Taylor Spafford from NISS.
Both teams represented the North Island very well. They each improved on their pre-tournament rankings, and will definitely be teams to watch on Vancouver Island next year.
“Volleyball has certainly gained momentum on the North Island,” said Mike McCulley, PHSS Senior Girls Volleyball Coach. “We are very lucky to have skilled and experienced coaches like Kenzie Grayson and Justin Reusch and several others who are helping to set the stage for our North Island teams to compete at a high level in coming years. The commitment from the girls is second to none and I couldn’t be more proud of them. It is very humbling to be a part of their journey, and seeing them grow and succeed as a team was amazing.”
High school volleyball is over for the year, but the Port Hardy Reigns Girls Volleyball Club will begin play in January after a two-year pandemic break. Stay tuned for more details.
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