Some new decorations will be hung in the Foothills Composite High School gym. Even better than the recently installed flashy scoreboards, is another Foothills Athletic Council Senior girls championship volleyball banner to go with the one the Foothills Falcons won last season. The Falcons won their second consecutive title by downing the Holy Trinity Academy Knights 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 25-17) in the finals Nov. 7 at the Crescent Point Field House. “This was really important because it is my last year to play with these girls,” said Falcons co-captain Gillian Wayne-Nixon. “It’s nice to beat HTA, because it’s the hometown rival.” The Falcons won the first two sets, but they found out a rivalry only exists when things are competitive. The Knights made things interesting by outlasting the Falcons to close the gap to 2-1. “We just weren’t communicating as much on the court, I don’t think,” said Falcons libero Jenna Romaniuk, another co-captain on the Falcons. “We weren’t talking to each other as much as we were in the first sets.” Telus, Fido and Bell can only dream of being able to communicate as well as Foothills did in the fourth set. “We talked, we moved and we played good defence,” Romaniuk said of the fourth-set victory. Nothing makes for good communication like the blocking and hitting provided from the likes of Wayne-Nixon, Liana Greenshields and the left-handed swing of power Emileigh Inglis. The Falcons had beat the Knights 3-2 earlier in the year, but Inglis felt HTA was much harder to handle this time. “Their attitude and their defence was a lot better for us,” she said. “That made it a lot harder for us.” But Romaniuk added the Falcons have improved as well. “Yes, we are, just fundamentally working better as a team,” she said. The Knights had no reason to hang their heads after a competitive final. Cali Milne, the Knights setter, agreed HTA was better, but they didn’t bring their best out against Foothills. “I think we have definitely grown as a team, but tonight…” Milne said. “I feel like sometimes when we get down, it’s hard for us to get back up sometimes and stay positive.” She added she was pleased how the squad rallied to win the third set and put some pressure on the Falcons. Addison Glanville, the Knights power and libero, said they have to think positive against the Falcons. “They get in our heads a little bit because they are our rivals, but we try to push by that,” Glanville said. “[Tonight] we couldn’t get a lot of streaks against them. There were times they were down but they would get back up.” HTA had advanced to the finals by edging the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans on Nov. 5 in the semifinals. The Falcons got by the Highwood Mustangs in the other semi. The Knights and the Falcons will meet again this weekend at the South Central zones along with the host Chestermere Lakers. Inglis said the Falcons will have to be ready – the Knights will be pumped. “We’ll come together for zones,” Inglis said. “And HTA will come back stronger.” Falcons coach Joanne Schoneck said Foothills has to turn it up a notch to get past the Lakers and Knights. “I thought we played well enough to win,” Schoneck said about the FAC final victory. “At zones, we have to keep our intensity up. Consistency and intensity is what we have to work on.” The Falcons have not played Chestermere this year. “They were at our home tournament and I don’t think they are as strong as they were last year,” Schoneck said. “But having said that, anybody, can beat anybody at any given time.” The Falcons won the South Central zone last year and went on to finish 12th in the province. Schoneck said the experience from 2017 will help them as they advance into playoffs. “I think so., Schoneck said. “Last year, we finished 12th, but every game went to three sets. I think that experience will help us.” In the Junior Varsity girls FAC finals the Falcons also got by the Knights to take the banner. Spartans hosting zones The Stratchona-Tweedsmuir Spartans didn’t make it to the FAC final this year, but they do have plans on extending their season – starting right at home. The Spartans are hosting the 2A South Central Zone girls volleyball tournament Friday and Saturday at the school northwest of Okotoks. STS begins play at 3 p.m. Friday against Our Lady of Snows from Canmore. They play again later that evening at 6:25 against Didsbury. On Saturday, they play Holy Cross Collegiate at 9:30 and finish the round-robin at 11:45 a.m. when they take on Drumheller. The playoffs begin at 2 p.m. with the final scheduled for 6 p.m.
