Neelin claims JV AAA provincial title

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This article was published 27/11/2023 (715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Neelin Spartans were completely unphased by an 0-3 start to provincials.

While they didn’t win a match in power-pool play, they saved their best for the ones that mattered most. The Spartans ran the table on Friday and Saturday in Winnipeg to capture the AAA junior varsity girls’ volleyball provincial title.

“They left it all out on the floor and it was so awesome to see,” said Neelin head coach Jen Dixon. “It was such a proud feeling as a coach to see that come out in them. The drive to want to win, it was so awesome.

“We started off kind of slow on our Thursday matches because we were playing some tough teams. We knew it was going to be tough competition and it says a whole lot about the group we had to be able to turn their mindset around.”

The 12-team event starts with three pools featuring the top four, next four and bottom four seeds. Neelin was in the top pool and knew it had a bye to the quarterfinals but losing three in a row meant a tougher quarterfinal.

Neelin gutted out a 2-1 win over Stonewall, then avenged an opening-day sweep against College Beliveau in three sets to reach the final.

They faced Altona’s W.C. Miller Aces, who thumped them in pool play. After dropping the first set 25-19, Neelin won 25-11 and thoroughly dominated the tiebreaker, winning 15-7 to secure gold.

“Quarterfinal, semifinal, final, all hard matches with tough opponents that did a lot on their side,” Dixon said.

“Something our girls did, I feel, that helped them achieve that third set was just control our side and give heart. Our girls really showed it in all three of those games.”

Spartans Elli Pomehichuk and Layla Desjardin were named to the tournament all-star team while setter Dana Linov earned MVP honours.

“Dana is a non-stop effort player. You can ask any coach, spectator in the gym,” Dixon said. “Multiple people come up to me after games, up to her after games and say she’s such a pleasure to watch because she is 110 per cent effort the entire game.

“Not only at provincials, every single game throughout the season she gives her all as a player.”

• • •

The Vincent Massey Vikings are one win away from a Brandon sweep of the AAA and AAAA JV girls titles.

Massey dropped the Sturgeon Heights Huskies in straight sets in the AAAA semifinals on Saturday and plays Steinbach Regional on Monday at 6 p.m. in the gold-medal game at Winnipeg’s Investors Group Athletic Centre.

The AAAA boys’ final features Sisler and Gabrielle-Roy.

• • •

The Viking varsity girls are headed back to the final four with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 26-24) win over the Fort Richmond Centurions.

Jersey Hansen-Young had a massive 24 kills and 20 digs for Massey, with Mackenzie Lyburn posting 17 kills and five aces.

Kypling Black chipped in four blocks.

The Vikings play the No. 1 seed Lord Selkirk Royals on Wednesday at IGAC at 6 p.m. Steinbach and Jeanne-Sauve meet in the second semifinal at 8 o’clock.

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