Playing the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans is like reading Shakespeare.
Like the Bard, the Spartans senior boys volleyball team is deep, and it contains an important message.
STS remained undefeated in Foothills Athletic Council play at 2-0 after they downed the defending champions, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights, 3-1 on Oct. 3.
It was the second time in ten days the Spartans had bettered the Knights, after previously beating them in the Oilfields Drillers tournament final.
“We knew coming off a win that they would be out for blood,” said Spartan power Alex Chase. “They would be looking to get back. We wanted to prove that we are a team to compete with in the Foothills Athletic Council.”
Message delivered.
“STS hustles and they don’t stop,” said Knights coach Fritz Peters. “They were also really able to block very well.
“We had a few injuries, but we were flat. We weren’t wanting the game, and they were.”
HTA made the initial statement by staving off an STS comeback to win 26-24.
After that it was all Spartans.
“The first game was really close and I felt we had the momentum right from the start in the second game and we just pushed it through,” said Spartan setter Adam Nanji. “We were all motivated and had a different mindset.”
The Spartans came back to sweep the final three games, 25-19, 25-21, 25-20.
The loss dropped HTA to 1-1 in the FAC.
Peters said the Knights just need some fine-tuning and to recover from injuries in their quest to defend their FAC title.
STS remains undefeated in FAC play, but alas, just like Hamlet and poor Yorick, the Spartans know their next opponent well.
They take on the experienced — and undefeated Foothills Falcons Thursday at the Comp.
“They are one of the top teams in the league and we want to make a statement for sure,” Chase said.
Spartans power Jeremy Pierce agreed.
“Playing Foothills is like playing HTA — they’re a bigger school than us,” he said. “So we are kind of an underdog against them. We have to get our energy together, show we are not afraid of them, and hopefully, we can take care of them just like we did HTA.”
The Falcons open the week with a tilt against Eden Valley’s Chief Jacob Bearspaw Eagles on Oct. 10 at the Comp.
The Knights play the County Central Hawks on Thursday, before playing in the Lord Beaverbrook Lords tournament this weekend.
HTA is the defending champions at Beaverbrook.
