2 weeks Ago By Thomas Friesen
The Neelin Spartans have lost just once to a AAA opponent this year and have no intentions of doubling that total this weekend. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.
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Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! The Neelin Spartans have lost just once to a AAA opponent this year and have no intentions of doubling that total this weekend. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The Neelin Spartans have lost just once to a AAA opponent this year and have no intentions of doubling that total this weekend. One of the best lineups in all of Manitoba volleyball, let alone the AAA ranks, enters the varsity boys’ provincial championship in Winnipeg today as the clear-cut No.
1 seed. Their first match is against Calvin Christian at College Beliveau at 11:10 a.m.
“It does feel like a lot of pressure, knowing that we won last year, knowing that we have very high expectations to do the same thing this year,” said senior right side Owen Falk. The Spartans cruised to the gold medal last year in Dauphin, dropping just one set through the three-day provincial championship. They lost a few pieces but the team was built around this year’s Grade 12 corps.
It lacks weaknesses and has an abundance of firepower to go with one of the province’s top pure setters, Junior Martine. He was the MVP of Volleyball Manitoba 17-and-under club provincials as Brandon Volleyball Club captured gold back in May, and that lineup looks a whole lot like his Spartan squad, with four or five of the same guys in the starting rotation. It’s built around six-foot-four left side Kal-El Wilson, who was ranked No.
9 in the coaches’ poll earlier this week. Middle blockers Ethan Olson and Eric Muller and libero Kingston Thomas, a Brandon University commit, make Neelin an elite defensive team. To top it off, sophomore Lucas Gamache stepped up from JV and into a starting role.
“It’s been great the way he’s come up and played amazing for us all season long,” Falk said. “You can’t even tell he’s in Grade 10, just how experienced and good he looks on the court.” They finished second place in their first tournament of the year, against many of the top AAAA teams at the Winnipeg Wesmen tournament.
Their run included a 2-0 semifinal sweep of the Gabrielle-Roy Les Roys, a AA-sized school that qualified for today’s AAAA final four, and a narrow loss to the No. 3-ranked Glenlawn Lions. The Spartans won the Brandon University tourney and Viking Classic, then swept Les Roys, edged the Lions and fell 16-14 in the third set to the No.
2 St. Paul’s Crusaders at Mennonite Brethren’s event. The Spartans won Winkler’s Nighthawk Invitational, then finally fell to Les Roys in the final of their home Spartan Dig.
Neelin travelled to Swan Valley and swept Neepawa and Dauphin to qualify for provincials. They’ve been in this position a few times now, having not only won last year’s AAA title but also the JV crown in 2022. The special run now comes down to one weekend.
“It’s definitely sad and disappointing,” Thomas said, “but definitely something we have to overcome because we do want to do a job this weekend, get that third title.” Neelin’s in the top power pool in the 12-team event, playing Calvin Christian first, then clashing with Garden Valley at Beliveau at 2:25 p.m.
The Zodiacs are the only AAA team to beat the Spartans all year, though they’ve also lost to the guys in green three times. Neelin rounds out pool play against Springfield on Friday at noon at College Louis-Riel. They’re far from must-win matches as all four teams head to Friday evening’s quarterfinals.
The semifinals are on Saturday at 10 a.m., with the final at Westgate at 3 p.
m. “The [pool] games do and don’t matter. If we do lose, it’s not really a big deal,” Thomas said.
“Through the power pool, it’s better to think we should win every game because we do want to go undefeated. We’re number one so we want to act like it. “These teams are never on our level, they never were.
We just gotta go in there with confidence.” » [email protected] » Instagram: @thomasfriesen5 Advertisement Advertisement.
