The U-15 Boys' win at provincials marked the best showing for a BVC boys' team in over a decade. (Facebook/Battlefords Volleyball Club)

By Martin Martinson

serve, set, spike success

U-15 boys volleyball team win provincial championship

May 6, 2019 | 4:16 PM

The Battlefords Volleyball Club’s (BVC) U-15 Boys’ Team won provincial gold Sunday, at the provincial tournament taking place at the Warman Legends Centre.

One of 11 teams at the event, the boys opened the tournament playing four matches Saturday against the likes of Lloydminster, Regina Volleyball Club, and two Prince Albert teams.

Likely the team’s toughest test on opening day was against one of the P.A. squads. After splitting sets with a 25-20 loss, only to bounce back with a 25-16 win of their own; 15-13 would be the final in the deciding third set, proving the Battlefords had what it takes to overcome adversity right from the get-go against one of the top volleyball programs in the region.

After winning all four of their Saturday games, the BVC boys had just two matches on day two Sunday, beginning with a semifinal showdown with Regina Volleyball Club. Seemingly only getting stronger as the weekend progressed, the Battlefords and area would pull out the semifinal in straight-sets, 25-21 and 25-19 to move on to the final.

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With just one more hurtle standing in their way, the final game of the tournament pitted the Battlefords Volley Ball Club against the Yorkton Bongos.

Despite an excellent showing in their own right, the Bongos came up short in the final, as BVC again proved too much for their opposition. They took the match in straight-sets, defeating the Bongos 25-18 in the opening set and 27-25 in the second, to stake their claim as 2018-19 provincial champions.

Consisting of one player from Willkie, one from Edam, four from North Battleford Comprehensive High School, and six from John Paul II, U-15 Boys Head Coach Paul Sarsons said it didn’t take long for the group to come together for success.

“We always knew this group had some special players,”Sarsons said. “All 12 are highly intelligent, very good students, [and] all very polite and respectful guys. They’re quite skilled throughout; so I knew coming in we had a once-in-a-moment type of team.”

However, with high-skill apparent on several other rosters across the league as well, Sarsons said the real key to success for the team, was coupling talent with a never-say-die work ethic.

“The guys did a great job of working on their skills and continually trying to get better,” the coach said. “I’ve [also] never seen a group of boys that had so little panic at this age. They were very calm, they thought through the play, and at no point did you ever look at the team and say they’re out of it. They bought into the concept that winning isn’t the most important thing, and as long as they’re getting better each and every time they’re on the court, they’ll always improve themselves.”

Much of that poise can likely be attributed to already a bevy of experience held by each of the players, as – despite their young age — some have already played as many as two or three years of club volleyball. Several with several being a part of last season’s U-14 team that placed second at provincials last year.

The victory serves as just another provincial championship for the Battlefords Volleyball Club Program as a whole, as last season’s U-17 woman’s team won provincials, following a U-13 girls gold the year prior.

The U-15 Boys will now shift their focus to nationals held from May 18-21 in Regina, which will feature just-over 40 teams from across Canada.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1