The U17 Smash Blue Club Volleyball team ended their season on a high note with a bronze medal at Provincials.
The Smash went to provincials in Calgary on the weekend of April 20.
The team played well at the tournament, but in a close match was shut out of the championship match in the semifinals by Dawson Creek. They went to the bronze medal match and beat the Wetaskiwin Sabres in three sets.
“They worked super hard,” said Coach Stacey Hainstock. “This weekend, they peaked with a phenomenal display of skill and fortitude.”
Hainstock has coached this team for the last couple of years and Koren McDougald has coached this group of girls since U13. Both are retiring, so this was a high note to end their careers on.
The team has a busy season and worked to improve their play. They appeared in three premiere tournaments and attended the Sylvan Lake Wave Invitational Tournament on February 20. The Smash also hosted a home tournament at the new Morrin School Gym on March 9 where they earned a silver medal.
“We started off the season sort of slow. We had a hard time melding as a team. We did a lot of mental fortitude-building and a lot of sports psychology and it paid off. The team we saw at provincials was a different team than what we saw all year, they just came together,” said Coach Hainstock.
This team has athletes from Three Hills, Morrin and Drumheller on their roster. Coach Hainstock says they improved skills through the season and despite coming from different schools and communities built a solid team spirit.
“I think these kids have built lifelong friendships,” she said.
