The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans are hitting their stride — and their serves — at just the right time.
The Spartans didn’t lose a set in winning the 2A South Central Zone senior girls championship, Saturday in Three Hills.
STS swept Brooks’ St. Joseph’s Crusaders 25-16, 25-22 in the final.
“It was definitely a competitive match — St. Joseph’s improved a lot during the tournament,” said STS coach Andrea Weber. “They had some really big hitters but we were able to serve, very, very strong.”
Grade 12 Spartans Dani Currie and Robyn MacDermott came up big at zones.
“The three-year players, Dani and Robyn, were difference–makers for us in this tournament,” Weber said. “Dani is playing middle and power and Robyn power and right side. Robyn had 22 kills and no errors. She hit phenomenally.
“I would estimate Dani had 20 aces and 15 kills. She just served very hard.”
Currie said the Spartans were taking nothing for granted.
“Going in we knew it was do-or-die to get to provincials,” Currie said. “We knew that there were teams that were going to be very tough. We also knew we are a very intimidating serving team. So our strategy was serve it tough so they couldn’t get a good pass to the setter.”
STS will now jet off to Vauxhall for the 2A provincial championships this weekend.
The Spartans have consistently gone to provincials in the past decade, but they turned in an un-STS like performance last year in Elk Point.
However, the Spartans are a year older and wiser going into Vauxhall.
“I think our girls felt the pressure a lot last year,” Weber said. “We didn’t execute. This year, the girls have been working hard on pressure situations, dealing with tough matches and playing — and competing — against 4A schools like Foothills sets us up well for provincials.”
The Spartans goal is to finish in the top four and get in the mix for a medal.
“Would it be nice to win the gold? Yes.” Weber said. “Is it realistic to think we are going to plow through and win the gold — I don’t think that at all.
“It’s going to be a tough tournament. We would like to make it to the top four and go for a medal. Whether it’s a gold or bronze medal match.”
They learned from last year.
“We are going to go in there motivated because we want to redeem ourselves,” Currie said. “We’re not going to underestimate any team.”
They are going in as an experienced group with seven Grade 12 players who will be wearing Spartan blue-and-white for the last time this weekend in Vauxhall.
They are, Currie, MacDermott, Nikki Abbott, Elitza Parvanova, Savita McRae, Sarah Stumpf, and captain Onna Janisch.
The Spartans are the second-ranked team in their pool in Vauxhall, behind Spirit River who has been STS’s arch-nemesis in the past. STS opens the tournament against the F.P. Walshe Flyers at 9 a.m. Friday.
To follow the action go to provincials.asaa.ca
