The Notre Dame senior girls team travelled to Cold Lake's Assumption Jr./Sr. High on the weekend to compete in the zone championships. After having some success in the round robin, Notre Dame moved on to the semi-finals to face Assumption, with the winner of the game advancing to provincials. The game was incredibly close the whole way, with Notre Dame pulling out the dramatic victory in three sets to advance to provincials.
Notre Dame's coach Tyler Collins said the game was the most intense game he has ever coached in. After the marathon match, the Notre Dame girls were all ecstatic about the win and to be heading off to provincials.
Notre Dame lost its first game of the tournament but came back to win the next three straight to advance to the semi-finals. Assumption was playing extremely well Friday and was in first place entering playoffs.
Assumption started off slow in the semi-final match against Notre Dame. The first set went in Notre Dame's favour 25-19.
The second set was an incredible show of volleyball. The set went back and forth and was tied at 24, with both teams unwilling to give into the other. Having to win by two, the match continued on, 25-25, 26-26 and so on. One team would score and the other would tie it up, over and over again.
With the game tied at 37 and the crowd chanting and the girls running on adrenalin, the set appeared like it was never going to end.
Then Assumption scored and scored again, and just like that, the marathon set was over. It was off to a third set.
Luckily for those in the crowd with weak hearts, the third set was a little less intense. Notre Dame pulled it together and although Assumption kept it close, Notre Dame won the final set 15-12, to advance to provincials.
The girls all celebrated their win on the court after the final point.
“In all the games I've coached, I've never had a game that close, every point contested like that. I mean 39-37, that's almost unheard of. Give Assumption a lot of credit, they played great all tournament,” said Collins following the win.
“You need to face adversity on your way to provincials and that was ours right there…our girls deserved this,” added Collins.
Notre Dame will now head to Three Hills for provincials Nov. 25-27. The girls are currently looking for sponsorship to offset some of the cost of advancing to provincials.
