A lack of court time and tournament play this season proved to be the detriment of the St. Martin de Porres Kodiaks’ provincial performance.
The Kodiaks senior boys’ volleyball team made the trek north Nov. 25 to compete at the Alberta Schools Athletic Association’s (ASAA) 3A provincial championships in Westlock.
Competing in a pool that included the eventual tournament winners, the Kodiaks crashed out of contention early, dropping all four of their round-robin fixtures. St. Martin de Porres fell in matches against Barrhead Composite, Magrath, Camrose, and the host school, R.F. Staples Secondary.
But even though they were winless in Westlock, Kodiaks head coach Edmund Crame said the chance to compete at provincials was still a great opportunity for the players.
“Number one, I think it was great for our boys to be able to have an out-of-town experience in their graduation year,” said Crame, who added the squad’s lack of tournament play this season hindered their chances to do well at provincials.
While teams in other zones throughout the province were able to attend weekend volleyball tournaments this season, the Calgary-based teams – St. Martin de Porres competes in the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHSAA) – were not able to do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and were limited to their regular-season competition.
“We weren't allowed to do any tournaments throughout the season as a result of the pandemic, so we tried to rely on league play and scheduling exhibition games to give us the preparation we needed moving into playoffs and beyond,” Crame said.
The Kodiaks entered provincials on the back of a strong showing in the CSHSAA, in which they made it to the semi-finals of the Division 2 playoffs.
But the team struggled against their provincial opponents, whom Crame said were mostly unfamiliar to St. Martin de Porres.
The coach said the Kodiaks’ pool opponents also proved to be some of the top teams at provincials this year, with the third-place team (Magrath) ultimately winning the championship, and Barrhead and Camrose finishing third and fourth, respectively.
“We were in pools of five [teams] and I believe any of the other four teams we encountered could have been in the top four of the tournament, so right off the bat, I think we were challenged against every team we played,” he said.
Crame said it was quickly apparent the other teams at provincials were a little more prepared for the tournament than the Kodiaks were. St. Martin de Porres were swept in each of their matches.
“At this point in the season, it's the best teams in the province at the 3A level, so to be able to compete with the best, you have to be at your best, for sure,” he said.
“Every team there had a pretty good idea from a scouting standpoint what they were getting into with their competitors. Most of them had seen the teams they encountered throughout the season, and we were coming in with really no idea what the competition was going to look like, not having had any exposure to the teams outside of our Calgary league.”
Despite the winless showing, Crame said his players had a great time on the trip to Westlock, and added the tournament was a fitting way to wrap up high-school volleyball for the many senior players on the team – particularly considering they had missed out on their Grade 11 season due to the pandemic.
“At the end of the day, no regrets at all,” he said. “I think for our boys, not having had the chance to play for the last year and a half, with no training in school as well until this season, I think we were just feeling fortunate to have this opportunity.
“We kind of went in there hoping for some wins and hoping for some really good action in terms of playing at our best and having the mindset that for most of the guys being seniors this year, looking at it as a celebration of being able to play a game they're passionate about. For many of them, they're moving forward into the club season, so it's a nice way to wrap up the school season as Grade 12 students.”
