The Elphinstone girls juvenile volleyball team recently completed their best season with a third place finish at the Lower Mainland championships.
Elphi started its playoff run by hosting their only home game of the season, a wild card game to gain entry to the Lower Mainland championships against Burnaby South.
Elphi won the match three sets to one to advance to the Lower Mainland finals, which were held Nov. 19 in Richmond.
"It has been a long time since Elphinstone has had a volleyball team advance to the Lower Mainland championships," said coach Jane Ostashek. "It was nice to win that match in front of the home crowd - in front of their friends, teachers and parents. The gym was packed. The fans at home were amazing and certainly gave us an edge."
In the quarterfinals, Elphi played Stevenston-London Secondary, the number one ranked team in Richmond, who hadn't lost a game all season.
That stellar record was laid to waste, however, when the Cougars came out on fire and won the match in two straight games. The win catapulted the Cougars into the semifinal against Burnaby North.
Elphi played a strong match, losing in three tough sets to finish the event third overall.
"Volleyball is a team sport, so their incredible team play really came through," said Ostashek. "All of the players have incredible skill for a Grade 9 level. They all go to skills camps both on and off Coast. They just love sport. They are also a really close bunch on and off the court, so I think that gives them an edge as a team."
Like most Coast sports teams, the gruelling travel schedule is a tough one to get used to. Considering Elphi played only one home game all year, Ostashek said she was proud of the girls' commitment.
"All 11 girls contributed to the success of the team," she said. "It's amazing how far they got."
