Westwinds Boys Volleyball - Panthers defeat Dragons

2014 Panthers Volleyball team

2014 Dragons Volleyball team

Chris Davis and Toni Lucas

The Dale Wentz Memorial Gymnasium at St. Michael's School was the site of an evening of volleyball between perennial rivals, St. Michael's Dragons and Crowsnest Consolidated's Panthers.  Six sets total were played, three between the JV squads and three between the SV squads.  It was the Panthers' turn to roar as they won all six sets. 

The most dramatic set of the evening was the second one between the JV squads, which was tied several times. with the Dragons ahead 24-20 at one point, before the Panthers came from behind to win it by a slim two point margin, 27-25.  The Dragons were also ahead 10-5 in the first SV set, which proved to be the closest SV set of the evening, before the Panthers surged ahead to win it 25-22.

Scores aside, those watching were well pleased with an entertaining evening of endeavour.  There were lots of great serves and lots of great volleys throughout.

JV sets:

25-14 Panthers

27-25 Panthers

25-15 Panthers

SV Sets:

25-22 Panthers

25-13 Panthers

25-17 Panthers

"The JV team played very well," said Dragons Coach Tyler Speelman afterward. That was our best JV game. We haven't won a set yet, We were on our way to winning but we couldn't finish it off. It was a good learning experience for the boys."  The Dragons are for the most part a younger team.  Of the SV game he said "The energy level was down from the start"  due many of the boys doing double duty playing both on the JV and the Senior team.  "That is the problem with not having both a JV and a Senior program," said Speelman.  "We played really well at times tonight, but we just couldn't keep up that energy, and we're not consistent enough yet.  We are getting better."

The Senior Girls and Boys Dragons will both be traveling to Crowsnest Consolidated High School on October 20 to face the Panthers (and the Pandas) again.  On October 22 the Girls JV and SV squads have an evening home game, and the next day, October 23, the Boys JV and SV squads will be hosting an evening home game.

Panthers Coach Rudy Schuh got us up to speed on the Panthers' recent efforts, and about what's upcoming.  "We have had some tournaments that have happened, we have played out in Black Diamond since then, and we did pretty well. We (the SV team) are kind of the middle of the pack on that one."

"This weekend we're going to Taber, and we have had a number of home games and did pretty well. We have split with Coalhurst. They won the JVs, we won the Seniors. We played Immanuel Christian, and lost to them. They are a good team, but our boys were right in that, 23 - 25, so our boys are in it. We played Fort MacLeod on Thursday, and we gave them a good run for their money. They got 25-23, we lost by two points each time. I think we are a different team now, and I hope we can give them a pretty good show on Thursday."

"We're trying to clean up the little things, the things that they can be doing slightly better."

Coach Schuh explained that the SV Panthers have 8 players, 6 of them in grade 12 and 2 of them in grade 10.  "It's a fairly seasoned team, but a couple of the the grade 12s haven't played as much. There are some that have played since grade 7, and some that are a little bit newer," Schuh said.

The Panthers will be holding their annual Green and Gold Tournament on October 31, with 7 or 8 boys and girls teams (each) expected to participate this year