Coming off a consolation side win at a tournament in Vegreville on Nov. 4 and 5, the Olds High School senior girls volleyball team claimed the south Chinook's Edge School Division league title on Wednesday in Sundre.
The Spartans started off by defeating Hugh Sutherland School from Carstairs in straight sets before meeting the Sundre High School Scorpions in the league final. After dropping the first set 22-25, the Spartans rebounded, taking the second set 25-13 and the third 15-13.
“They played with a huge amount of heart, but they didn't quit. That's the biggest thing is they didn't quit on themselves. It was a total team effort. They all played extremely well,” said Wanda Vandervelden, one of the team's coaches.
The Scorpions and Spartans split the season series, with the Scorpions taking the matches earlier in the season and the Spartans getting two victories later in the year. Vandervelden said the two Spartan victories were due to a lot of growth by everyone on the team.
Now that the Spartans claimed the south league title, they will be off to the zone championships in Brooks Friday and Saturday. Before that, however, they will play a challenge match against the Innisfail High School Cyclones, the north division champion, tonight in Olds.
Because the schools north and south of Olds in the CESD play in different zones, the division is trying to promote a division-wide champion by holding tonight's match. While the Cyclones have an edge in experience over the Spartans, Vandervelden said the Spartans could surprise their northern counterparts due to a lack of familiarity between the teams.
"They played with a huge amount of heart, but they didn't quit."Wanda Vandervelden, coach, OHS senior Spartans girls volleyball team
