Almost 1,100 kilometres to travel to the provincial championships and your first game is against your arch rival.
Such is the case for the Vernon Secondary School Panthers and Seaton Sonics, who meet in the opening round power-pool of the B.C. High School Senior Girls AAA Volleyball Championships in Dawson Creek Thursday, Nov. 30.
The Okanagan champion Panthers are seeded No. 2 for the 16-team event while the Sonics – who fell in four sets to the Panthers in the Okanagan final at VSS Nov. 18 – are ranked No. 3.
“It’s a long way to go to play them again,” joked Vernon assistant coach Karen Bedard. For Bedard and her husband, VSS head coach Richard, the trip to the provincials is a homecoming of sorts. The pair taught in Dawson Creek from 1995-2005.
Vernon defeated Seaton 25-18, 17-25, 26-24, 25-21 to capture the Okanagan banner.
Little Flower Academy Angels of Vancouver are ranked No. 1 while the Sentinel Spartans of West Vancouver are seeded No. 4. The top four teams face each other Thursday. The championship is slated for Saturday evening.
VSS and Seaton are the only two North Okanagan schools to qualify for girls provincials at any of the four levels.
SENIOR BOYS
Coldstream’s Kalamalka Lakers and the Seaton Sonics of Vernon are in the same pool for the start of B.C. AA championships at the Langley Events Centre.
Kal, the Okanagan Valley runners-up, open the 16-team provincials Wednesday, Nov. 29, against the John Oliver Jokers of Vancouver, while Seaton, which finished third at the Valleys, will face off against the Esquimault Dockers of Victoria. The two North Okanagan rivals will play one another Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
The Lakers are seeded No. 9, Seaton is one spot back at No. 10.
Kal fell to the South Kamloops Titans in the Okanagan championship. Seaton captured the bronze medal.
A
Vernon Christian School Royals are ranked No. 6 for the provincial finals in North Vancouver, which begin Thursday.
The Royals will play the Houston Christian School Wildcats (12:15 p.m.), the École Jules Verne Albatross of Vancouver (3:30 p.m.) and the Unity Christian Flames of Chilliwack (6:30 p.m.) on opening day.
Vernon Christian lost a five-set heartbreaker to the St. Ann’s Academy Crusaders of Kamloops in the Okanagan championship, 16-14 in the fifth and deciding game.
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