Glenlawn, Jeanne-Sauvé crowned JV volleyball champs

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This article was published 02/12/2022 (1082 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BY SHELDON BIRNIE

STAFF REPORTER

ST. VITAL

High school volleyball season is wrapping up, with a number of east Winnipeg athletes shining at provincial tournaments.

Glenlawn Collegiate won the AAAA boys junior varsity provincial title, beating River East Collegiate in four sets to win the title.

“The group loves volleyball,” head coach Russ Harder said of his team. “It was a group that was motivated, but it was just channelling that love into how do we actually get better at the sport. They bought in. They recognized in a hurry and came to appreciate the standards that were expected of them.”

Glenlawn’s Benjamin Doan was named most valuable player for the tourney, while teammates Nico Nadeau and Augustine Okose were named to the all-star team, along with River East’s Matthew Brown and Tanner Naghtigall.

“The boys worked really hard to achieve that success,” Harder said. “We would sometimes practice five times a week. If our gym was busy, I’d find other gyms in the division that were free.”

Collège Jeanne-Sauvé won the AAAA girls junior varsity provincial title, defeating Lord Selkirk 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 in the final.

“They were relentless, defensive minded,” said Roger Labossiere, a parent coach for the team, which went 46-0 this year. “Going into provincials, and they’d only lost two sets all year. And in provincials we added another four.”

According to Labossiere, this year’s team featured six players who, as Grade 9s last year, went into the 2021 provincials ranked first, only to lose in the quarterfinals. “They had that disappointment from last year. This year they were able to experience winning it.”

Labossiere’s daughter Taylor was named MVP, while teammates Celeste Pelletier and Anna Filippin-Buller were named to all-star team, along with Dakota Collegiate’s Kate Paukovic.

“It all starts with the middle school programs, with great coaches,” Labossiere said. “All 12 of our girls are club volleyball players, and it makes such a difference. They were a great group of young ladies.”

Centre scolaire Léo-Rémillard’s junior varsity girls team made it as far as the AAA provincial final before falling to the champs from Neelin High School 17-25, 25-12, 15-6 on Nov. 26. Players Andrea Fischer and Isabelle Boucher were named to the tournament all-star team.

Meanwhile, Collège Béliveau’s boys junior varsity team finished second in the AAA provincial finals, also coming up against a dominant team from Neelin, losing 28-26, 25-20 in the final. Béliveau’s Manuk Garcia and Kyle Honeybun were named tournament all-stars, as Collège Louis Riel’s Simon Francois.

In the boys AAAA varsity tournament, sixth-ranked River East won its opening match vs. Vincent Massey (Brandon), only to fall to Steinbach in the quarter-finals. Seventh-ranked Dakota beat Garden City in the opening round, only to fall to Vincent Massey (Winnipeg) in the quarters. Ninth-ranked Collège Jeanne-Sauvé beat Oak Park in the opening round, but lost to St. Paul’s in the quarters.

In the girls AAAA varsity tournament, eighth-ranked Dakota lost in the opening round to Niverville, 11th seed River East lost to Lord Selkirk, and 10th seed Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute lost to Westwood.

Transcona Collegiate’s boys varsity team won its first game of the AAA provincial tournament on Dec. 1 to 3, beating Garden Valley 25-15, 25-15, while Léo-Rémillard’s boys team beat R.D. Parker 25-12, 25-11 and Lorette 27-25, 25-18 in the opening round. However, final results were not available at press time.