Gabrielle-Roy in Île-des-Chênes had an especially productive volleyball season, with three of its Les Roys teams winning their divisions and heading to provincials. From there, each time was a force to be reckoned with, dominating the competition through the round robin and making it all the way to the finals.
But in all three cases, the Gab-Roy teams were forced to settle for second place.
Varsity Girls
The Varsity Girls competed at the AA Girls Volleyball Provincials in Boissevain, where ten teams met from across the province to compete over three days. Ultimately, it was the home team, the Boissevain Broncos, who earned top spot, despite Gab-Roy having notched six consecutive victories to get to the final.
Several players were given special recognition. Sophie Morrice and Lynne Wallack were among those named tournament all-stars.
Sophie Morrice and Christina Harboway were also named grad all-stars. Only 24 girls from over a hundred schools receive this award. The pair have been invited to attend a banquet and participate in an all-star game.
On December 11, it was announced that Sophie Morrice had been named the Rural High School Athlete of the Week by the Manitoba High School Athletic Association.
“She’s the captain of the team and leads by example,” says coach Alain Hebert of the 5’11” left-side hitter. “She isn’t scared to make mistakes and take the shot when the team needs her. She has an aggressive serve and is very smart about her plays. She lives and breaths volleyball and has a great appreciation for the sport and her coaches.”
In addition to Morrice’s athletic prowess, she maintains an 88 percent academic average.
Earlier in the season, in mid-November, Michelle Préjet was named Rural High School Athlete of the Week as well.
Varsity Boys
The Varsity Boys found themselves in a similar position. Before provincials began, they were ranked third in Manitoba. They won four straight games to get to the final, but then they ran into the Landmark 96ers and had to settle for second place.
Again, several players were recognized for their outstanding play. The tournament all-stars included Noah Bartlett and Reece Clarke, and Sacha Delaquis and Noah Bartlett were named grad all-stars. Like their counterparts from the Varsity Girls team, they’ll also take in the banquet and all-star game.
Junior Varsity Boys
One week earlier, on November 23, the Junior Varsity Boys fell short in their provincial final as well. Had they won, it would have been their third consecutive title. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, with the Rosenort RedHawks coming out on top.
Kalen Nordick and Cabrel Sorin were named tournament all-stars. The team was coached by Daniel Lother and Roger Turenne.
The Junior Varsity Boys had played well all season long, ranking third in their division with a 6–2 record.
The Junior Varsity Girls also had an excellent regular season and made it provincials, but they lost their round robin games and fell short of the playoffs.
Roger Vermette, Michel Lavergne, and several club alumni manage the volleyball program at Collège Régional Gabrielle-Roy. Over the last few decades, they have developed a strong feeder network of schools in the area to supply top-end talent—a long-term strategy which has paid off in a big way.
