Kwahommies hold their own

By Ryan McCracken on November 24, 2017.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Hat High Kwahommies opened the Alberta Schools Athletics Association 4A girls volleyball championship with a 1-2 round robin start on home turf Thursday.

While they only have one Grade 12 on the entire roster and four Grad 10s on the starting floor, the Kwahommies kicked off the tournament with a 25-18, 15-25, 15-12 win over Foothills before dropping a pair of two-set matches to Calgary Centennial (25-17, 25-15) and the Lloydminster Barons (25-21, 25-19).

“There’s been lots of good volleyball. The girls have played at times really well and at times not so well,” said Kwahommies coach Darren MacMillan. “If we can keep our emotions in check and together then we’ll be fine, and I think that’s where we struggled, not being able to keep our emotions together.

“I think a lot of that emotional intelligence is just about youth and experience as well, so we’ll keep working on it.”

Libero Rhiannon Ware, the team’s lone Grade 12, says the season has been a unique test — from personally having to take on a leadership role, to creating leaders out of rookies.

“It’s definitely been interesting, it’s also been a test for me as a leader,” said Ware. “I’d never been in that situation before so it’s been tough, but it’s been great to build my character and see their characters grow as being leaders too. They have to pick themselves up.”

The Kwahommies closed out their night after nearly pulling out both sets in their loss to the Barons. Hat High rallied for six consecutive points after falling into a 24-15 hole in the first set, then held a seven-point lead in the second before Lloydminster finally took over.

“Volleyball is crazy, a rollercoaster of momentum back and forth. In that game we were up 13-6, but after a timeout they got two points on us and our emotions swung and we couldn’t control them. Things went back the other way and we weren’t able to rebound.”

The Kwahommies meet up with Grande Prairie’s Charles Spencer (2-1) for a 9 a.m. playoff match at Hat High. The winner will advance to take on Calgary’s Western Canada (2-1) in a 5 p.m. quarter-final at Crescent Heights.

“We’ve got to play our best game to come out with a win,” said Ware.

Hat High is also the host of the 4A boys volleyball provincial championship, though the Mohawks went without a victory through the group stage.

The Mohawks opened the tournament with a two-set loss to Calgary Centennial (25-19, 25-13) before falling to Charles Spencer (25-22, 23-25, 15-8) and the Lloydminster Barons in three sets (23-25, 25-14, 15-11).

The Mohawks take on Edmonton’s Harry Ainlay (1-2) today at 11 a.m. at Hat High. The winner will advance to face Calgary’s E.P.Scarlett (3-0) in the quarter-final at 7 p.m.

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