Pandas participate in Halton Showdown Junior Girls Volleyball Tournament

A Pandas - 2nd in Pool A

T. lucas photos and videos

Toni Lucas, Crowsnest Voice

There was fast paced volleyball action for two days at the Matthew Halton school gym to decide who was going to line up for the championship games in each division.  Over one hundred girls attended this tournament that included a B division made up of grades 7 and 8 athletes, and an A division that was made up of grade 8 and 9 athletes.

The tournament was round-robin, with teams playing two sets for each game until the playoffs, which were best-of-three matches.

MHHS A Hawks - 3rd in pool A

Nine schools and a total of 13 teams participated in the tournament:  Pincher Creek Matthew Halton Hawks (A and B), Crowsnest Pass Pandas (A), Willow Creek Composite High Cobras (A and B), Cardston Cougars (A), Livingstone Sabres (A),  F.P. Walshe Flyers (A and B), Taber W.R. Myers Rebels, (A) Raymond Comets (A), and Coalhurst Trojans (B).

3rd: A Comets

The level of skill overall that was demonstrated was surprisingly good for these levels of teams.

Matthew Halton Athletic Director Randy Whitehead organized the tournament and coached the Matthew Halton B Girls.  "This is our third year running it.  The teams seem to be enjoying themselves.  There have been good games, close games, which is always fun."

LHS A Sabres

"Every year there are some teams that don't come, and new ones that do come," he remarked about team attendance.  "There are some that are regulars.  The girls seem to be enjoying it, and that's the main thing.  As long as the kids are happy."

Coalhurst B Girls

Whitehead congratulated the teams and thanked the volunteers, coaches, parents, participants, and the spectators at the end of the tournament.

B Hawks

The Matthew Halton gym was divided in half, with two games being played simultaneously throughout most of the tournament.

For B division the match for first and second place ultimately came down to the F.P. Walshe Flyers versus the Coalhurst Trojans.  All three sets were played and the young Flyers were victorious.

Later in the day the A division Flyers faced the W.R. Myers Rebels for supremacy in the A playoffs.

A Rebels - Second place A division

I have to say that I was happy that the other games were done for the day during the second set of this game, as this was one of the more exciting sets I have had the privileged of witnessing for this age group.  In this level of volleyball it is the best two out of three sets win the match.  The first two sets go to 25 points and the third set was played to 15 points.    The team has to win their set by two points so the final score can climb higher than 25 points. Both teams were so evenly matched that the tension was high.

Champs: F.P. Walshe A Flyers

Champs: F.P. Walshe B Flyers

During this second set the score was 21 - 21, then 23 - 23, 24 - 24, 25 - 25, 26 - 26... you see the progression.  One team would gain a point, then the other, without either side gaining that precious second point to take the set.  This went on until the Flyers finally got that critical second point ending the set at 30 - 28.  This made it one set for the Rebels, one for the Flyers.  The last set the Flyers pulled ahead and stayed there for the last half of the set winning it 9 - 15 making them the victors in the A division as well.

"The girls did amazing," said  Flyers A team Coach Bobbi Curran.  "They worked their butts off, and rose to the challenge of the level of play that Taber brought to us.  It was a really good game."

Pre-playoff standings:

A Girls Pool A

1. Willow Creek 
2. Crowsnest Pass
3. Matthew Halton
4. Cardston

A Girls Pool B

1. W.R Myers
2. F.P. Walshe
3. Raymond
4. Livingstone

B Girls

1. Coalhurst
2. F.P. Walshe 1
3. F.P. Walshe 2
4. Willow Creek
5. Matthew Halton

Final standings:

A Girls:

1. F.P. Walshe
2. W.R. Myers
3. Raymond

B Girls:

1. F.P. Walshe 1
2. Coalhurst
3. F.P. Walshe 2

Tara, a future Comet