The JPII senior boys Crusaders, pictured here with their 4A provincial silver medals. (Submitted photo/Shelly Fransoo)

By Martin Martinson

Four-year medal streak

Crusaders senior boys take provincial 4A silver in Melfort

Nov 28, 2023 | 3:52 PM

The John Paul II Crusaders senior boys volleyball team took home a silver medal at 4A provincials over the weekend in Melfort.

The Crusaders opened their tournament with decisive straight-sets wins over Lumsden (25-7; 25-11), and Yorkton’s Sacred Heart (25-9; 25-13), followed by two tight victories over Saskatoon’s E.D. Feehan (25-23; 25-15) and Melfort (22-25; 24-22; 15-11) in three sets, to advance to the provincial final against Meadow Lake’s Carpenter High School.

Though the Crusaders would ultimately fall in the final (17-25; 15-25), the team’s silver medal serves as their fourth podium finish in the last four years, with one gold and three silver.

“There’s a little bit of history now built within the program here, and we’re a team that’s obviously very competitive and I think the numbers show that,” coach Shelly Fransoo said, reflecting following the weekend. “We’re really happy for the boys, we’re really proud of them and happy for them.”

Having battled a number of injuries to key players all throughout the season, Fransoo said the team’s success this year would not have been possible without everyone chipping in to play a part, something that continued right to the final games on the provincial stage.

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“Even those that did not get to see [a lot of] court time were equally as important to the success of the team this weekend,” she said. “It took all athletes in order to get that silver medal finish, and it speaks a lot I think to the perseverance the team had to endure throughout the season.

“They faced adversity a lot and we had to make a lot of shifts, we had to make a lot of changes due to those injuries, and it paid off in the end. The boys definitely persevered, and we’re seeing some great results now in the end as a result of that.”

With just four Grade 12s on this year’s team, the Crusaders’ senior boys should remain a threat for success on the provincial 4A scene for years to come.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1