Solid season for Olympiens falls just short

St. Vital

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This article was published 11/12/2024 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Collège Jeanne-Sauvé Olympiens varsity girls volleyball team had a banner season this year, ultimately coming up a little short in the end.

The St. Vital-based team lost to Brandon’s Vincent Massey Vikings 3-1 (20-25, 28-26, 25-22, 25-21) in the AAAA provincial high school championships at the University of Manitoba’s Investors Group Athletic Centre on Dec. 2.

This was head coach Donata Huebert’s first season with the school. She has an extensive volleyball resume, having played for the junior national team in her native Germany, the Brandon University Bobcats, and played professionally in Germany, France and Denmark. She was also the associate head coach for the Mount Royal University Cougars women’s team.

“It was really good to be part of the provincial final four this season,” Huebert said, reflecting on the team’s progress in recent months, noting the U of M provided a great setting for the final matchup last week. “It was a great experience for the girls, and the year overall went by very fast. We played lots of games, and took part in different tournaments, and I think we performed very well across the whole season.”

Huebert, who teaches phys-ed and French at CJS, said the team’s participation in tournaments this season provided her with a good opportunity to get to know the players and work with them as a group.

In the provincial arena, she cites a three-set playoff win against the Steinbach Regional Sabres on Nov. 15 and a three-set semifinal victory over the Lord Selkirk Royals on Nov. 27 as standout performances.

This year’s team was a mix of Grade 11 and 12 students, representing an experienced group, some of whom also played for club teams, while others played exclusively for the high school team, including multi-sport athletes that have brought different skill sets to the court, both mentally and physically.

Huebert is grateful for the support of the school’s community, including assistant coach and team manager Jack Durand.

“I’ve been really grateful to have him there, and he has helped me so much along the way with his experience and expertise,” she said. “The girls have also been very welcoming. They’ve been fantastic.”

As Huebert continues to learn about the Olympiens varsity girls’ team, both past and present, she’s looking forward to the journey ahead.

The school team has created something of a legacy at the provincial level, winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.