The host Kalamalka Lakers, spurred on by a partisan capacity crowd and wave-inducing principal, rallied to beat the St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights of Burnaby 25-20, 24-26, 15-12 in the opening game of the B.C. High School Senior Girls AA Volleyball Championships Thursday, Nov. 28, at Kal Secondary.
The Knights, ranked eighth in the 20-team event, staved off two match points in the second game and rallied with four consecutive points for the win, forcing a third and deciding game.
St. Thomas More Collegiate led 8-5 when the teams are required to trade sides of the court in the deciding game (first to eight points), prompting Kal principal Mike Grace to get the capacity crowd (student body, staff, parents, visitors) to do the wave as the crowd cheered ‘Go Lakers Go.’
The crowd’s energy boosted the Lakers, who got the game to 14-11 in their favour. The Knights saved another match point before a ball that ricocheted around the rafters in the Kal gym on the Knights’ court, was finally played out of bounds on the third hit to give Kal the victory.
The Lakers, seeded 13th, also faced the St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints of North Vancouver (#18) and the third-ranked Pacific Christian Pacers of Victoria in pool play Thursday.
Games are also being played at Vernon Secondary and Fulton Secondary.
All 20 teams will be ranked one-through-20 following pool play as the playoffs begin Friday at 9 a.m.
The gold medal game will go Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Kal Secondary.
READ MORE: Vernon Panthers qualify for B.C. girls volleyball; Kal Lakers ready to host provincials
READ MORE: Vernon’s Seaton Sonics win fourth straight Okanagan title
The Okanagan champion Seaton Sonics and wild card entry Vernon Panthers were on a collision course Thursday in Langley.
Both teams, grouped in the same round-robin pool, won their opening games Thursday. The Sonics defeated the Charles Hays Rainmakers of Prince Rupert 25-15, 25-18 while the Panthers took care of the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George, 25-23, 27-25.
The all-Vernon game was slated for 4 p.m. Thursday.
Vernon Christian School Royals faced the Duncan Christian Chargers, Credo Christian Kodiaks of Langley and Kelowna’s Immaculata Regional Mustangs in pool play at L.V. Rogers Secondary in Nelson.
Scores had not been reported from their pool as of Thursday afternoon.
Seaton Sonics will shoot for ninth place overall at the B.C. finals in Langley.
The Sonics fell 3-0 to the Langley Christian Lightning (25-19, 25-21, 30-28) in the round of 16 which began Thursday.
Seaton went 2-1 in pool play Wednesday. The Sonics beat the Prince Charles Bulldogs of Creston 25-21, 25-15, and swept the Alpha Aztecs of Burnaby 25-19, 25-18. Seaton lost 2-1 to the Sir Charles Tupper Tigers of Vancouver, 20-25, 26-24, 15-12.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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