Revenge is a dish best served with a spike down the middle.
The Springbank Phoenix senior girls’ volleyball team vanquished the ghosts of 2018 when it defeated the Cochrane Cobras Nov. 8 to secure the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) championship.
“Both teams played really well,” said coach Al Coulter. “That’s what you always want in the final, to have a good match. I think earlier in the season, we beat Cochrane 3-0, and they struggled. But this time, they came out and played some really good defence.”
The Phoenix took the title – the team's first since 2016 – in three sets (25-13, 25-22, 25-18).
“They pushed us in the second game, especially, and we were only up 21-20,” Coulter said. “That’s the kind of game you want – those one-point differences where the girls are under pressure and have to play hard, because that’s what you’re going to get at provincials.”
The Cobras beat Springbank to the division title in 2018, as well as top spot at the South Central Zones tournament. Cochrane went on to earn the title of provincial 3A champion.
Coulter said he expects the two RVSA heavyweights to battle for spots in this year’s 3A provincial championships, Nov. 20 to 23 in St. Paul, Alta.
“These are the two teams, Cochrane and Springbank, that have really been fighting it out over the last few years,” he said.
With a roster comprised of many juniors and seniors who also play competitive club volleyball, the Phoenix has been a dominant force all season. Along with the team’s unbeaten record in divisional play, Springbank won three of the five tournaments it has competed in this year, finishing second in another.
According to Coulter, the Phoenix’s depth sets it apart from other teams.
“We have three power hitters and four middles. I can put any four of them in – and I do,” he said. “Against Cochrane, I started a different middle every time. Especially at tournaments like provincials or zones, we can rest players throughout the day, so that when we get to the semis or finals, we are very strong.”
After clinching the RVSA banner, the Phoenix was back on the court Nov. 16 (after press time) at the South Central Zones tournament in High River. The top two teams from the tourney will qualify for the provincial championships.
While Springbank’s senior girls’ team found divisional success this season, the senior boys finished runner-up to the Cochrane Cobras for the third consecutive year.
Playing for the division banner Nov. 8, the Cobras swept the Phoenix in three sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-22).
Head coach Daniel Kleer said his team led at the tail end of two of the sets, but Cochrane showed its attacking punch, going on seven-point scoring runs to secure the wins.
“The first and third sets, we were up – 23-18 in the first and 22-18 in the third,” he said. “We just couldn’t close them out. They were close, for sure. They have a really strong power. I don’t know his name, but once he comes front row, it was really hard to stop him.”
The loss was a repeat of the 2018 result, when the Cobras defeated the Phoenix in four sets to capture the title.
Cochrane also beat the Phoenix in regular-season play, overcoming the team in five sets Oct. 26. The result marked Springbank’s only defeat in league play this year.
“I was really happy with how the guys played, and I still think we have a shot against [Cochrane] at zones this weekend,” Kleer said. “We just have to be able to close out games and hold onto a lead.”
The South Central Zones 3A senior boys’ tournament took place Nov. 16 in Strathmore. The winner of that tournament will qualify for provincials in Magrath, Alta., the following weekend.
