‘A lot of intensity’: Spartans complete flawless run to capture 4A boys volleyball championship

The Spartans “ended up winning all four in two straight sets” in pool play, which set up a quarterfinal win over Melville and a semifinal victory against Humboldt — both in straight sets.

Carpenter High School Spartans players battle at the net during 4A provincial boys volleyball championship play on Nov. 22. (Carpenter High School/Facebook)

The gold-medal match was a rematch of their final round-robin contest earlier that same day. Moose Jaw Central, known for running what Dallyn called a fast, layered attack, pushed the Spartans to stay sharp on serve and control the middle early.

“They run a very complex offence,” Dallyn said.

“Everything is very quick to the outside, and they have fairly physical middles as well. So we knew going into that final game, we’re going to have to serve tough and put them in tough positions just to make it a little bit harder on their offence.”

Carpenter answered by dominating the net.

“We were able to get some success early out of the middle,” he said, crediting middles Eamonn Vidal and Quinn Shakotko for opening the court.

Their impact forced Moose Jaw to commit blockers inside, freeing right-side hitter Nathaniel Roger and left-side hitters Brett Ackerman and Lawrence Laprise to generate points from the wings.

The win, Dallyn said, was the product of the entire group, not just the starters.

“There were tons of positive emotions,” he said. Players on the floor and on the bench “sold out for one another,” and the run took “a lot of intensity, a lot of effort and a lot of emotion.”

Fan support made the moment even bigger. Meadow Lake families filled the stands, giving the Spartans a boost that felt like home court.

“Man, we had an unbelievable support system down in North Battleford, it was like having a home game for us,” he said. “Our crowd was absolutely wild.”

For the team’s three graduating Grade 12s — Kalem Klassen, Vidal and Maxwell Kytwayhat — the championship capped off years of work.

Dallyn described Klassen, the team’s libero, as “our heart and sole player,” a defender who “kept balls alive and kept our defence engaged” and who stepped up “anytime we needed a big play.”

Vidal, a physical middle hitter, “was just out there pounding balls all weekend,” putting “so much pressure on other teams because of his physicality and how big he is,” a presence that he said “literally put fear into teams.”

Kytwayhat, meanwhile, brought “energy” and “so much emotion” to the floor, qualities Dallyn said helped “raise our level of play with his emotional side of bringing that to the game.”

Carpenter High School’s three graduating Spartans volleyball players. (Carpenter High School/Facebook)

The title adds another chapter to Carpenter’s long-standing volleyball tradition, something Dallyn said matters deeply to players, families and community.

“Our volleyball program has a very strong history,” he said. Winning provincials allows his players “to etch their name in the memory books of Carpenter history and put that banner up on the wall,” a moment he called “pretty special.”

Looking ahead, the Spartans return most of their roster next season, and Dallyn expects the program to keep building on this year’s run.

“To create a team atmosphere where guys pick each other up and work towards common goals. If we can do that year after year, we’re going to have success,” he said.

—

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

‘A lot of intensity’: Spartans complete flawless run to capture 4A boys volleyball championship

What's Trending