Morning Star Staff
For the first time in 27 years, former Olympian Sharon Shaigec had a school drop out of her Fulton Maroons senior girls home volleyball tournament.
The Princess Margaret Mustangs of Penticton cancelled Wednesday due to four injured players with a short bench.
Shaigec re-jigged the schedule which will now see the Maroons tangle with the Westsyde Whundas of Kamloops at noon and then take on the VSS Panthers at 3:45 p.m. and the George Elliot Coyotes of Lake Country at 6:15.
It is now a seven-team tournament with the Panthers battling the George Elliot Coyotes of Lake Country at 2:30. Play resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. with Seaton against Westsyde and VSS meeting the Valleyview Vikings of Kamloops.
The AA Maroons dispatched the AAA Panthers 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-16) in exhibition action Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the VSS junior girls B team finished ninth out of 26 at the KSS Best of the West tournament.
In pool play, the Cats beat Constable Neil Bruce of West Kelowna, 25-10, 25-16, lost to OKM Huskies Grade 10s 25-17, 14-25, 6-15 and beat Immaculata A Mustangs 25-13, 25-23.
“We had a couple of lapses against OKM and it cost us first place in the pool,” said Cats’ coach Mike Bertram. “Overall the girls played really well in the pool portion. We got good setting by Emilia Durfeld and good hitting from middle Hailey Quiring and power Carly Larsen.”
VSS lost to KSS A Owls 15-25 17-25 in the quarterfinals with Kenzie Killingbeck recording some big kills and Mason Jurrison serving well.
The Panthers then beat Mt. Boucherie A Bears 25-14 20-25 15-8.
Kelsey Watts had a couple of huge blocks on the Bears’ excellent power hitter to give VSS huge momentum, while Masha Tiourine and Megan Claeys supplied excellent setting which led to big hits from Myah Gallie and Watts.
VSS beat Kal A 25-19 25-13 in one of their best games of the year against Kal.
“We worked on defence and serve-receive in practice and the girls were able to take that into their game,” said Bertram.