Trojans take perfect record into provincial final

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This article was published 30/11/2023 (997 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Vincent Massey Trojans had been an unbeatable force all season and that trend continued Thursday night.

Fuelled by an 11-kill performance from right side Owen Weekes, nine from middle Shay McKim and eight more from left side Everett Smith, the top-seeded Trojans eked out a 26-24, 25-21, 30-28 triumph over the No. 4 River East Kodiaks in varsity boys semifinal action at the Boston Pizza AAAA Provincial Volleyball Championships at Investors Group Athletic Centre Thursday night.

Massey, which improved to 48-0 on the 2023 season, will be chasing the first varsity boys volleyball provincial title in school history when it faces the Dakota Lancers in Monday’s 8 p.m. provincial final.

The second-seeded Lancers, spurred on by six kills and a big blocking presence from middle Connor Grandbois, advanced with a 25-16, 25-13, 25-23 victory over the No. 3 Glenlawn Lions.

The Kodiaks did not go quietly Thursday, pushing the heavily favoured Trojans in the opening set and taking a early 7-3 lead in the third set before succumbing to the Massey’s unrelenting pressure.

“We were peaking at the right time but Vincent Massey is just a monster of a team right now and and we knew we were in tough,” said River East head coach Zach Diboll. “There was a hope that the boys had no pressure.”

The unsung McKim was a standout in the biggest game of the season.

“He’s the guy in this group that gets lost in terms of recognition,” said Trojans head coach Marshall Jones. “But he’s a phenomenal middle player. He’s so steady. He’s so calm and level-headed. He’s just really grown into a pretty darn good volleyball player.”

McKim and his teammates showed their mettle against the Kodiaks.

“I definitely felt the pressure but I also trust my team and we have been in this situation before — last year at provincials and in club nationals with (the Junior Bisons) with all the same players,” said McKim. “So it’s something I’m used to and our team’s used to and I think we do well in these situations.”

Added Jones: “I knew that the River East squad was super-talented and well-coached and they were gonna have a good plan put together and I knew when you get a group like that with their backs against the wall, with their season on the line, they were gonna push back.

“We talked about that at the start of the third set and they came out and scored a bunch of points right away. But we’ve been through these situations enough and just trusted the group enough to kind of settle themselves down.”

McKim elevated his play in the third set, registering four kills and a service ace.

“That’s pretty big for me,” said McKim. “It’s good that I was being set in those situations but it was just how the game plan worked and how the game worked out. If anyone else on my team was in that situation, they would’ve done the same.”

Kodiaks star left side Jack Kisil took some time to heat up but finished the match with seven kills and three aces. Service errors were an issue throughout for River East.

“We knew we had to be aggressive to even have a chance but when you do have them on the ropes, it’s hard when you just let them get free,” added Diboll. “A team like that, once they get an advantage, they have a big block and they’re looking to close the door.”

Meanwhile, Dakota will be aiming for its first championship since 2019.

Nico Nadeau had seven kills for the Lions, who split the four previous meetings with the Lancers. Dakota won an five-set, 2 1/2-hour marathon in the recent SCAC Tier I conference final while Thursday’s encounter lasted just 70 minutes.

Glenlawn could have star attackers Nadeau and Augustine Okose, both in Grade 11, back in 2024.

“That’s an awesome team over there,” said Hudson. “You’ll see them back probably in this situation next year.”

The Lancers are 0-for-4 against Massey so far this season.

“We’re gonna need a monumental effort to even have a chance but if we go out there the way we played tonight, I think we’ll be up for the challenge,” said Hudson.

In Monday’s varsity girls final, the top-seeded Lord Selkirk Royals face off against the No. 3 Steinbach Sabres. Game time is 6 o’clock at IGAC.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca