The St. Augustine Queens senior girls volleyball team have clinched first place in their league.
They head to zones Nov. 15 with a chance to compete at provincials, explained coach Darren Josephison.
Despite losing one match to the Pigeon Lake Panthers and winning the other against Parkview Adventist Academy Thursday, Nov. 6, the Queens’ season performance was strong enough that there was no chance they would lose first place spot.
After losing 2-0 against the Panthers, Josephison said they may have felt less pressure than he would have expected despite a desire to win at home. “We played like we knew we had already won and advanced to the league.”
He said the four graduating players were saddened by the loss as they wanted a win at home, but he suggests this was a strong lesson for them to continue to play strong no matter who the opponents are.
“It comes down to the motto on the back of their shirts. ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,’” said Josephison.
He suggests they must have strong physical and mental focus going into zones.
Josephison said the Queens had some moments of clarity during their first match but the deficit was too large to come back. Unforced errors hurt their chances as much as the large deficit.
Losing to the Panthers was a wake up call that helped the Queens bounce back and earn a 2-1 win against Parkview.
Strong leadership in graduating players
Josephison said as a coach he has come to expect strong leadership from the graduating players. This group was no different.
Players Christine Nibungco, Henny Derepite, Karley Jensen and Taylor Paquette have each brought something to the court that has benefitted the team, he explained.