Perhaps being the only team to win a set against the top-ranked team in the province spurred on the host Kalamalka Lakers.
The second-ranked Lakers rebounded from a disastrous opening day Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the B.C. Senior Boys AA High School Volleyball Championships on Kal's home court in Coldstream, to earn a final fourth berth, thanks to a pair of huge wins on Day 2 Thursday.
The Lakers will meet the top-rated Langley Christian Lightning in a semifinal Friday, Nov. 29, at 3:30 p.m. at Kal Secondary, a rematch of a preliminary Power Pool round game Wednesday. The winner advances to the gold-medal game Saturday, Nov. 30, at 2 p.m. at Kal.
Kal went 0-3 on opening day Wednesday, losing in straight sets, 2-0, to the Abbotsford Christian Knights and Surrey Christian Falcons, before taking the season-long No.1-ranked Langley Christian Lightning to three sets, falling 25-12, 24-26, and 15-12.
The second-set loss is Langley Christian's only blemish through the first two days, as they roll into the final four.
The Lakers rebounded from the 0-3 start to knock off the Alpha Eagles of Burnaby 3-0 in their Round of 16 playoff match Thursday morning at Vernon Secondary. The Eagles had taken first place in their preliminary round pool, and Kal's 0-3 start is the reason they're on the same side of the championship draw as Langley Christian.
Kal stayed at VSS Thursday afternoon and defeated the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George 3-2, (21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 15-8), to advance to the final four.
The other semifinal will feature the battle of Abbotsford with the MEI Eagles taking on Abbotsford Christian at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Kal.
The Eagles and Knights both advanced with 3-1 quarterfinal victories, MEI knocking off Surrey Christian, and Abby Christian defeating the Lambrick Park Lions of Victoria.
All four Power Pool teams – Langley Christian, Kal, Abbotsford Christian, and Surrey Christian – made it to the quarterfinals.
BC AA GIRLS
The Okanagan champion Kalamalka Lakers have rolled into the Round of 16 at the provincial finals at Mill Bay, on Vancouver Island.
Kal finished first in Pool B, sweeping the Richmond Christian Eagles and Langley Christian Lightning, sandwiched around a 2-1 victory over the York House Tigers of Vancouver (scores were not available on the website as of 6:30 p.m. Thursday).
The Lakers are slated to take on the Fernie Falcons (1-2), who finished in fourth place in Pool C, in Round of 16 action Friday at 11 a.m.
BC AA GIRLS
City rivals Vernon Panthers and Seaton Sonics finished 1-2 atop the Power Pool at the provincial finals in West Vancouver.
The Panthers opened the 16-team tournament Thursday, exacting revenge for a loss in the Okanagan final to Seaton, downing the Sonics 2-0 (scores again not available on website). VSS would also beat the Crofton House Falcons of Vancouver 2-1, but fell 2-0 to the Little Flower Academy Angels of Vancouver.
Seaton also went 2-1 in the preliminary round, beating both Vancouver teams 2-1. The Sonics ended up second, and VSS first, thanks to the Panthers win Thursday morning.
Vernon is slated to play the Garibaldi Rebels of Maple Ridge (0-3) in the Round of 16 at 9 a.m. The Panthers, if they advance, could face Okanagan rivals George Elliot Coyotes in the quarterfinals Friday. The Coyotes meet the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George in the Round of 16.
Seaton will take on the David Thompson Lakers of Invermere at 11 a.m. in their opening playoff match. The Lakers finished in a three-way tie at 2-1 in Pool D with the Brookswood Bobcats of Langley and LV Rogers Grizzlies of Nelson, ending up third after the tie-breaker formula was enacted.
The Sonics, with a win, would meet the winner of a match between the Mark Isfeld Ice of Courtenay and College Heights Cougars of Prince George in a quarterfinal Friday.
TOURNAMENT TIDBIT: The provincial tournament co-director is Brooks McNiven, a Kalamalka Secondary graduate, who is now co-athletic director at Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver. Sentinel is the tournament host.
B.C. A GIRLS
It was a tough provincial debut in Nanaimo for the Okanagan champion Vernon Christian School Royals.
Playing in their first-ever B.C. championship tournament, the Royals went 0-3 on opening day Thursday.
VCS fell in straight sets to the Unity Christian Flames of Chilliwack (25-8, 25-15), and White Rock Christian Academy Warriors (25-14, 25-13), and dropped a three-set decision to the Credo Christian Kodiaks of Langley (22-25, 25-22, 18-16).
The Royals finished fourth in Pool A, meaning a Round of 16 date Friday at 11 a.m. with the winners of Pool D, the Lake Cowichan Lakers (2-1).
