History was made last week at Elphinstone Secondary School as two girls' volleyball teams captured North Shore league titles in a span of a little over two hours.
The Grade 9 Cougars capped off their undefeated season with a three-straight set win over Argyle.
"The athletes play a strong defensive game, combined with a very effective transition to a 5:1 offensive [attack] system," said coach David Barnum. "The players are consistently supportive of each other and have worked hard to refine their skills. Many of the team members will go on to play for the Sunshine Coast Volleyball Club in January, which has been instrumental in fostering a volleyball culture on the Sunshine Coast."
While the Grade 9 team celebrated its title, the senior girls squad was just gearing up for its championship final match with Sentinel, who are a quadruple A school while Elphi is considered an AA school.
The senior Cougars started off strong and were bolstered by a strong contingent of fans who made their way to West Vancouver for the match.
After winning the first set, the Grade 9 girls came running into the gym with their banner in tow. The younger girls joined the crowd of fans, while the sight of the banner motivated the seniors to fight even harder.
With hard hits, strong sets and some amazing saves, the senior girls' team also swept their match in three-straight sets.
For the Grade 11 girls on this year's senior team, it was their second league title as they were on the junior team that captured the banner last year.
The senior team was hard at work this week at the Lower Mainland championships trying to qualify for a berth into the provincials, while the Grade 9 team started competition yesterday (Nov. 17) at the Lower Mainland championships.
"The girls have had a great season and have really come together as a team, and this was evident in the North Shore final," said Jan Richey, who has coached many of the senior girls at the elementary level.
"The team played with confidence, and each girl contributed to the win. I expect they will continue their success through the Lower Mainland championships and provincials."
