The St. Walburg Boys Volleyball team begin competition at the 2A Provincial Championship, which the school is hosting. (St. Walburg School)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

First serve

2A volleyball provincials begin in St. Walburg

Nov 26, 2021 | 12:20 PM

The second weekend of Saskatchewan High School volleyball provincials begins today.

St. Walburg is set to take on the best 2A boys teams in the province, after winning their regional competition last weekend. Mike Lee, head coach of the Saints senior boys team, said he’s excited for the weekend to start, with Turtleford acting as co-host.

“You need the full court, so it’s nice to have it set up that way,” he said. “We’ve got a beautiful gym here, so it will be a great time.”

“We’re hoping for a good championship and a medal would be nice for our boys.”

Lee said he was pleased with the team’s performance at regionals, where they defeated Maidstone 16-14 in the final. Entering the championship as the second-seeded school on the draw is a boost of confidence for the players, rather than competing just as the host.

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“It’s nice to earn your way there, which is the way you want to get in,” he said.

Getting to compete on their home court is even more meaningful for the squad, after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic last year kept them form hosting the 2020 championship. Lee said seven of the team’s 11 players are seniors and they haven’t taken the season lightly.

“A lot of guys didn’t get the opportunity to play in it last year, so they’ve really savoured it this year,” he said.

The Saints open the tournament with matches against Cornerstone out of Moose Jaw and Harvest City out of Regina. Having coached five teams that went to provincials while in Edam, Lee said it’s a deep pool of teams and that provincials are a different beast.

“I’ve seen a lot of one seeds not make it through a cross-over,” he said. “It’s how the athletes compete and step up that day, a lot of mental preparation. It’s often the most talented team, but not always.”

“We’re a second seed going in and we won our region, but there are a lot of strong teams.”

Maidstone and Wilkie are also competing at the 2A championship, placed in the opposing pool.

Live streams are available for both the St. Walburg and Turtleford gyms on YouTube. Other regional schools in seniors boys play this weekend include JP II Collegiate of North Battleford and Carpenter High from Meadow Lake in 4A, Unity and Lashburn in 3A and Medstead in 1A.

For the full schedule, standings and scores, go to the SHSAA website.

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