The Elphinstone Grade 8 girls volleyball team beat St. Thomas Aquinas three sets to one in a very intense and close match on Nov. 5, putting them in first place in the North Shore Secondary School Sports Association (NSSSA) volleyball league.
This is the first time in more than 50 years that a Grade 8 team from Elphinstone has won first place in the NSSSA volleyball league. The last time was in 1964.
“We are bringing home the first-place trophy and a banner to hang proudly at the school,” coach Jen Illingworth said. “The assistant coach Becky [Dufresne] and I are very proud of the team. Awesome effort and positive attitudes!”
The Elphi team made a comeback from behind to win.
The NSSSA is composed of private and public schools in North and West Vancouver. Most of the girls on the team had played before, but others were new to the game. Under the volunteer coaches, Illingworth and Dufresne, the girls quickly learned to play as a team.
It was a strong commitment for all the players who trained twice a week and played two games each week – usually on the North Shore.
“On the off-Coast games there was only room for 10 or 11 girls on the school bus,” Inge Harrison said. “For those girls it was very challenging as they faced teams with up to 17 players.”
The girls have lost only one game in their league this season. It was their first game and they lost to St. Thomas Aquinas. This time they came back and not only got their revenge – they won the tournament as well.
