It was a nail-biting finish at the Sr. Girls Volleyball Northwest Zone final between the Caledonia Kermodes and the Charles Hays Rainmakers in Terrace Nov. 16.
But the hometown squad rallied to beat the Rainmakers in three straight sets in the best out of five match and are heading to Delta for provincials this Wednesday, Nov. 27.
The team beat Prince Rupert easily the weekend before the final, said coach Carmen Didier.
“So I think the girls felt the match was going to be an easy one,” she said. “It definitely was not. Prince Rupert put up a good battle and put a lot of tips over our block.”
That meant adjusting their defense to a six up system to protect the centre of the court in order to regain control of the court.
The team is heading into provincials ranked 13.
“Our goal is to beat our rankings,” Didier said, noting they’re still considered a young team with a starting lineup that has two Grade 12s, one who is the libero, and five Grade 11s.
“The girls know their opponents who are mainly Grade 12s and what to expect and I know they will do their best to make their community proud,” she said.
And this is just the beginning, with players progressing through the system beginning in Grade 8.
“These girls have really set the standard of play for the volleyball players coming up in future years.
“Each year the senior girls team is going to get stronger and stronger and be a contender at the provincial level,” she said.