Submitted
When the St. Augustine Queens began their volleyball season in early September, their goals were to win first place in the league and win the league championship.
On Oct. 28 they met both of those goals, while claiming their first Central West League Championship. The league tournament was held at St. Augustine School, as the local girls had won the right to host by posting a perfect 8-0 record in the 2A division regular season.
In the semifinals the Queens faced Spruceview, who had finished second in the 1A league. The Queens jumped all over their opponents for an early 14-0 lead, before cruising to a 25-13 win. The second set saw another determined effort and another 25-13 win for the Queens.
In the finals the Queens would face Eckville, who had finished first in the 1A league and advanced to the finals with a very close three-set win over Delburne, last year’s league champs. The first set was close in the early going but eventually the Queens’ hitting game was too much for Eckville who fell 25-17.
With one win between them a league championship, the Queens continued their strong play, pulling away to 20-8 lead. But as always, finishing the deal the first time round is not easy as Eckville mounted a small comeback before the Queens prevailed 25-17.
When the final whistle sounded there were no screams or tears of joy, but more relief and satisfaction that the work of the last few years had finally paid off, and the job was completed. In process of winning their first league title, in only their third year as a high school team, the Queens compiled a record of 33-2 in league play.
The Queens still have a lot of volleyball left to play. They travelled to a tournament in Delburne Oct. 30 and 31 and the head north to Redwater on Nov. 7. They will then focus their efforts on preparing to host the Central Alberta Zone Playoffs Nov. 21. The Queens will compete against five other teams, with only the first-place finisher advancing to provincials in Rocky Mountain House, the following weekend.