The JPII senior boys and senior girls' teams each won gold at their tournaments over the weekend. (Submitted photos)

By Martin Martinson

Volleyball supremacy

JPII senior volleyball teams take dual gold at weekend tournaments

Nov 1, 2021 | 4:03 PM

It was a red-letter weekend for John Paul II Collegiate (JPII) athletics, as the high school took home dual gold medals in both senior boys and senior girls’ volleyball around the region.

Senior Boys Volleyball

The senior boys’ gold, which came at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, served as the team’s second gold medal in the last two weekends.

Head coach, Shelly Fransoo, said the team — which was actually split into two squads at the weekend’s tournament — really showed what they were capable of all the way around.

“With our second team there we had athletes playing some different positions, so we saw some promising things there, and then with our other team, it just solidified the cohesiveness of that group,” she said. “We’re starting to see our defence getting a little bit sharper too, which is key heading into the last third of the season.”

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The JPII Crusaders senior boys, pictured here took home the gold in North Battleford. (Submitted photo/Shelly Fransoo)

Playing seven matches for a total of 14 games over Friday and Saturday against teams including Meadow Lake, Unity and St. Walburg, likely the Crusaders’ toughest matchup on the weekend came from Wilkie who they played twice.

The first game between the two sides went a close two sets, with 25-20 and 27-25 games in the round robin, before meeting again in the gold medal game. There JPII again took the victory in straight-sets, 25-20 and 25-15, to claim the gold medal.

The senior boys will return to action this weekend in Humboldt, before a week off before heading into regionals in Saskatoon. Should they advance from there, the team will move on to provincials the last weekend in November.

Senior Girls Volleyball

The senior girls’ gold medal was the team’s first of the season coming in Macklin.

One of 11 teams at the tournament, head coach of the senior girls, Cherelle Cadrain said it was great to see the team come together as a group, and be rewarded for their hard work and effort throughout the weekend’s games.

“The girls played very well, and really brought it together as a team all weekend,” she said. ”And they managed to do really well in the playoffs too for the gold.”

The JPII Senior girls, pictured here after taking home the gold in Macklin. (Submitted photo/Vic Stynsky)

Posting a combined 13-1 record through their 14 games at the tournament, the team lost just a single set over the two days by just a four-point margin, 25-21.

Despite a challenging semifinal versus Meadow Lake, which saw the team win one of the sets 27-25, they punched their ticket to the gold medal game.

There the Crusaders girls also topped Wilkie for the weekend gold winning 29-27 and 25-15 in straight sets.

The senior girls will return to the court Wednesday at the high school to host North Battleford Comprehensive High School for an evening of exhibition games starting at 5:45 p.m.

They have three more weekends of game action as the team will play in Melfort this weekend, with regionals to follow in Meadow Lake the weekend of Nov. 13. Provincials will be in Moosomin the weekend of Nov 19-20.

In addition to the success of the senior teams, the JPII junior boys also won their conference playoffs at the high school, while the junior girls won their conference playoffs in Spiritwood.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1