Spartan girls start season strong

Just about all of these Neelin Spartans know what it takes to achieve their ultimate goal.

And they have no reason to believe they can’t do it again this year.

The 2023 varsity and JV AAA provincial volleyball champions are off to a hot start this year.

“I feel like we’re capable of the same thing,” said Dana Linov, MVP of JV provincials two years ago. We’re a very similar team and we’ve all gotten so much better, too.

“We’re very team-(oriented), we always communicate, our hitting has gotten so much stronger.”

Neelin started the season with a 3-1 loss to the defending AAAA provincial champion Vincent Massey Vikings but bounced back to beat the Crocus Plainsmen 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-14) on Tuesday evening.

Ashley Henwood posted eight kills and nine aces for Neelin, with Elli Pomehichuk adding six kills and three aces. Tyneil Inkster made 20 digs.

Brylie Waldner and Maddy Sheffield led the Plainsmen with four kills each.

The Spartans entered the match on a high as they kicked off their tournament schedule with a first-place finish at Calvin Christian in Winnipeg on Saturday, beating the Linden Christian Wings 15-13 in a wild third set.

“You can’t win a game if you don’t have energy, and our team made sure to bring that energy,” Linov said.

“It showed we can be more resilient and overcome the pressure of being that close in a game,” added middle blocker Katey Ward. “It just shows that we can really come together as a team and it’ll help us build more confidence throughout the season to win provincials and get that banner.”

Ward played up with the varsity team in 2023, helping the Spartans come back from a massive deficit in the provincial semifinals en route to gold.

Back then, she was the young one focused merely on blocking and hitting. Now, her responsibilities have grown in terms of leadership.

“Especially because Izzy (Isabella Didych) is in Grade 10 this year, I have a better understanding of what she’s going through and I’m really trying to help her develop more and be more confident in herself,” Ward said.

Linov didn’t play on Tuesday, so opposite Layla Desjardin stepped in to set.

Head coach Lana Dubois is used to such adjustments and will certainly go deeper than her starting seven throughout the season, even when everyone’s healthy.

She finds roles for her entire group, often settling into a routine with specific front-row and back-row specialists beyond the usual middle/libero replacements.

“Since we have a small team, any contributions anyone can make help a lot,” Ward said. “Even being able to pass a couple of balls to get the other person out of their head can help everyone come back together and get in the right mindset to play better.”

Neelin is in for some giant tests this weekend at Lord Selkirk’s Royal Rumble. It’s in a pool with Westwood, River East, and Jeanne-Sauvé and could see some of the top AAAA programs during the playoff portion.

Linov is more excited than nervous.

“The excitement is making me keep my energy high,” Linov said. “All of us are looking forward to playing those higher-ranked teams because this is not something we usually get to do during the season. We’re all super excited and so ready.”

• • •

In JV girls’ action, Neelin swept Crocus 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-10).

JJ Pinard led Neelin with three kills and nine aces, while Praise Samson and Jayda Davidson had six kills apiece.

Tonight in high school boys’ action, Neelin visits Crocus. The JV match starts at 6 p.m., with the varsity contest at 7:30 p.m.

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