The Niverville Collegiate Varsity Boys volleyball team have earned a berth in the AA provincial tournament to be held in Carman, December 1–3. They enter the tournament ranked number one in the province at the AA level.
The young team, which only has two players in Grade 12, is not a powerhouse by the standards of stature and power, but they run a varied attack keeping their often taller opponents off-balance, and what they lack in power they make up for in smart hitting. At the same time, they are very strong defensively, covering the court and passing the ball well.
In league play, the Varsity Panthers capped off an undefeated season by beating Green Valley in the league final in a close, well-played match. The win earned them a trip to Pine Falls to play the northern winner in their zone. The team took the match in two straight sets to capture the Zone 13 banner.
Winning a zone banner is always a gratifying accomplishment, but perhaps equally gratifying for the coaches, players, parents, and school administration was a letter from the principal of Pine Falls school. In his letter to the NCI administration, he praised the Panthers for their effort and skill. But what impressed him even more was their sportsmanship on the court. He admitted that the games were pretty lopsided, but he commended the NCI boys for the character they displayed in that while they continued to play hard, they conducted themselves with humility.
The final step on the road to clinching a provincials berth was to place in the top two of a four-team qualifying tournament. They put on a strong performance, placing first in the tourney by winning every set.
The ten-team provincial tournament draw has them pooled with Carman (ranked third, and also the host team), their league rivals Steinbach Christian (ranked fifth), Tuelon (ranked seventh), and Souris (ranked ninth). The other pool in the draw has their league archrivals, Green Valley, ranked second as favourites.
Could this year’s Provincials be a Zone 13 showdown? NCI has been here before. Coach Limpright will be looking for redemption this year after coming up short in the provincial final the previous two years.
