St. Augustine’s senior girls’ volleyball team rallied together last weekend and took gold at a tournament hosted in Rimbey.
“We went into the tournament expecting to be at least in the final four,” said coach Darren Josephison.
Josephison said St. Dominique’s and St. Mary’s were the toughest teams to beat but St. Augustine’s strong defense, passing and hitting brought them through. He says the games could have gone to either team.
St. Augustine was undefeated in their league matches up to the tournament. “Without being overconfident we expect to win them all,” said Josephison.
The team also came second in the recent Camrose tournament and in the Red Deer College tournament semifinals.
“We have a fairly strong team,” said Josephison.
His goal this season is to be the school’s first team to go to provincials.
The team can get overconfident in their league games because of their strength. “There’s a challenge to keep the intensity,” he said.
In the second set of the final match in the tournament St. Augustine fell behind eight or nine points. Because the first set was easy the team didn’t play as hard as they should, said Josephison.
If the team gets stressed when they fall behind, Josephison will use humor or focus on the previous plays that went well to get the team back on track. “Rather than get mad I’ll suggest to them.”
Josephison said the biggest challenge for the team at the tournament was finding a balance playing the newer and veteran players and diversifying their attacks.
Along with their strength, Josephison says the extra support from larger home game crowds helps the team.
St. Augustine’s senior girls play tonight, Oct. 3, in a home game.