Hapnot Collegiate hosted the JV AAA Girls Volleyball Provincials from Thursday, Nov. 19 to Saturday, Nov. 21, with about 150 athletes from ten teams competing for the top spot in the tournament.
The Hapnot Kweens JV team played four games in the round robin, closing with a strong win against Altona’s WC Miller Collegiate Aces on Friday night, and making it to the first round of playoffs.
On Saturday morning, the Kweens faced off against Neelin High School Spartans, the first-ranked team in the province.
“Knowing that they [the Neelin team] were strong motivated the girls to play on a whole other level,” says coach Amy Olenick.
While the Kweens lost both sets to Neelin, they “went out with a bang,” Olenick explains. “They played one of their best games of the year.”
After an intense championship final on Saturday afternoon, the provincial title went to the Neelin Spartans. The Collège Béliveau Barracudas came in second place.
Olenick says the spectators turnout was excellent for the three-day tournament, with lots of families coming out to cheer on local and visiting players. The weekend also included fun off the court for the teams, with opening ceremonies and a banquet on Thursday night at the Flin Flon Community Hall, and a friendly skills competition on Friday night at Hapnot.
Hosting a provincial tournament is a major endeavour, and Olenick is quick to note that teamwork made it possible, with the organizing committee, student volunteers, and maintenance staff keeping everything ticking along smoothly: “The amount of support and help from everyone who was involved was amazing.”
