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Sarnia, ON –
The St. Clair Colts own the top spot in the junior
boys volleyball division after three straight set
victories over the SCITS Blue Bombers, moving their
record to 8-1 on the season.
Coming off
a strong tournament performance over the weekend,
the young St. Clair team looked to hold their spot
in the top half of the division. In the first set
the Bombers had the opening lead as the Colts had
control issue with their hits at the net, sending
them wide and long. Travis Moore would step up for
St. Clair with two aces and an unreturned serve to
put St. Clair in the lead 7-5. Jason Verwegan would
also add three aces of his own, as the Bombers have
trouble controlling the St. Clair serve. Despite
some continued struggles throughout the first set,
the Colts would finish out strong and take the first
set 25-18.
In the
second set, SCITS fell into a routine of only
hitting it twice before sending it back over the
net, giving the Colts a free ball. Moore continued
to have a strong set at the net earning two more
kills for a 16-11 Colts lead, adding an ace as well
to be six points away from closing out the set.
But SCITS
would turn the set around near the end, working off
of St. Clair errors and an ace by Joey Austin, the
Bombers once down by seven, came back to within two
points. But needing only two to close out the set,
St. Clair would finish it off, and earn a second set
victory 25-22.
In the
third, St. Clair jumped out to an early 4-1 lead off
net work by Brett Storr, Joey Vanderwal and Jason
Verwegan. The Colts would pump their lead up to
13-5, but Keenan Smith would respond for SCITS with
his own strong net play, earning a block and three
kills for points to cut the lead down to three.
But like
the second set, the Bombers would not set up for the
kill, instead returning the ball to St. Clair on
only two hits. With St. Clair only three points out
from the victory, Verwegan would have two unreturned
serves and Moore a final kill to end the third set
25-17, and the match.
D espite
the three set victory, St. Clair coach Sue Harrell
had concerns with some of her teams performance.
"I was
happy with some of their performances," Harrell
said. " Their up and down and passing is things we
are going to have to work on."
St. Clair
competed in the Saunders volleyball tournament over
the weekend, losing to the eventual winners from
Central Elgin. But Harrell is happy with the
progress the team has made over the course of the
season, citing the teams strengths is in their serve
and their big middle players. . St. Clair's 8 man
roster is made up of primarily grade 9's, with three
grade 10's, two of which did not play volleyball
last season.
St. Clair
sits on top of the junior volleyball division with
St. Francois and St. Chris both have 7-1 records as
well coming into Tuesday's play. St. Clair is known
as a volleyball power house in the most recent
years, and Harrell is confident in her teams ability
to perhaps capture back to back championships.
"We have
to be confident, that's what I try and teach the
kids," Harrell says. "I know the other coaches out
there are working hard with their teams, so I'm
excited to be that close in the junior match."
Harrell
says the kids should feel no pressure as juniors is
a chance for them to learn.
"I just
want them to do the best they can do," she says.
"And if we can take another title I'll be extremely
excited."
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