BONNYVILLE - Although the Notre Dame High School senior girls’ volleyball team from Bonnyville placed fourth at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAAA) provincial volleyball tournament in Whitecourt recently, coach Tyson Watters is satisfied with how his team handled the pressure.
In a three-day, best-on-best tournament, Notre Dame had big shoes to fill with last year’s team winning the 2A provincial championship.
A total of eight teams competed across the province. Previously, Notre Dame finished first at the Northeast Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (NEASAA) 2A zone tournament, held earlier in November.
“Our challenge living in rural Alberta is to try to travel and find the competition. We need to be ready for those tournaments,” says Watters. “The [team] last year had won a provincial championship, but this year’s roster was filled with new faces.”
None of the girls on the current roster had played in provincials previously, he pointed out. Watters praised the team’s setter Ryenn Gibbons for her relentless work ethic, while also crediting left sides Sara Fangnan and Izzy Watters.
Notre Dame went 2-4 in the tournament beating Our Lady of Mount Pleasant Catholic School (OLMP, Camrose) in pool play 25-20, 25-19 and defeating Edmonton Christian in the quarter final. However, they later lost to OLMP 25-23, 25-23 in the semi-finals, and were defeated by Sexsmith Secondary School in the bronze medal game.
Despite the outcome, the Notre Dame coach affirmed their status among the province's top teams, facing a high level of competition from teams like Calgary Christian, who won gold.
“The lessons learned will prepare them both physically and mentally for future competitions,” Watters says. As the team gathered for their final huddle at the tournament, he talked about the team’s understanding of the emotions, the energy, the noise, and fan support that goes into a tournament.
Looking ahead, the team has high standards - Watters hopes to reach the gold medal in the 2024 season.
The Notre Dame boys’ volleyball team also had a strong season, finishing in third place at NEASAA zones.