A tradition of excellence in junior high volleyball continues for the Lorne Akins Gators.
Their SAPEC-leading 13th boys’ championship was celebrated in Thursday’s hard-fought 29-27, 22-25, 25-12, 25-23 victory against the William D. Cuts Crusaders at Bellerose Composite High School.
“It’s great to be part of a winning tradition. It means a lot to keep it going,” said big guy Devon Jennings, who casts a large shadow at the net for the undefeated Gators.
The city title was the second in a row and the seventh since 2001 under the direction of coaches Ken Bishop and Ian Steinke.
“They’re really good coaches and that has something to do with why we win all the time,” said captain Dylan Alcock.
One of the very best teams in school history compiled an impressive 32-2 record in league and tournament action. The Gators were also victorious at the SAPEC tournament and The Great Canadian Classic in Spruce Grove.
“This season was really, really good,” Alcock said. “We wanted to do better than last season, which was hard because we won cities, but we did it.”
The Gators only lost eight sets all year. They also swept every match in league and playoffs until the Crusaders snapped the streak in the final.
“We thought we were going to take them in three. It didn’t go that way but we ended up winning, so it’s all good,” Alcock said. “Losing that set was a good scare. We thought it was going to be an easy game because we thought we were the better team.”
The Crusaders were no pushovers. The final was tighter than the four-set decision would suggest.
“It was tough. They were very strong,” said Jennings, the tallest player on the court at six-foot-four.
Power hitter Sean Poulin lit up the Gators with rockets that exploded into points.
“He was pounding the ball on us. He had a really good game,” Alcock said of the Crusaders’ most dangerous swinger and their top scorer.
“He really gave us a lot of trouble,” added Jennings, no slouch either planting the ball into the floor.
Fans got their money’s worth as the Gators and Crusaders waged a titanic battle that was too close to call until Brett Gorbahn halted a late surge by the green team in the fourth set with a left-handed hit that dropped fair in the back corner for the championship-clinching point.
Prior to the 25th point, the Gators’ coaching duo called a timeout to settle the boys down after they gave up four in a row to make it a one-point contest.
“It was pretty close. We had to work really hard to beat them,” Jennings said. “It really was a big team win.”
The first set was loaded with wicked rallies. The Gators battled back from a 14-10 deficit by outscoring the Crusaders 7-1 to lead 17-15 as Jennings played a major role in the comeback charge. The Crusaders regained the lead with five straight points. It was 22-19 when the Gators scored three times to knot it up as Gorbahn made his hits count. The Crusaders refused to wilt and stayed in the hunt through the work of Poulin, Tom Davies and Tyler Thorsley. They eventually pulled ahead 27-26, but on the next play the ball was served into the net. Jennings scored the 28th point off a massive block and Harley Sevelle sealed the deal with an uncontested block from the middle.
Steady defence by Frankie White also contributed to the Gators success in the opening set.
In the next set, the Crusaders came out hitting as they exploited holes in the Gators defence. Neither team was able to rattle off a long string of points throughout the middle portion of the set. Wonky serving also plagued both teams. The big play was a vicious drive down the line by Poulin to make it 24-20. Gorbahn, Jennings and Kieran Murphy accounted for most of the points towards the end for the Gators.
In the third set the Gators grabbed the lead and never let it slip away during a six-point outburst that put them on top at 8-6. They wrapped up the set with 12 straight points through a variety of ways, and Gorbahn at the service line for the last 11. Murphy also riddled the Crusaders for points during the scorefest with key blocks and some nasty hits.
The fourth set saw the Crusaders mount an early 10-7 lead, only to have the Gators answer with seven in a row as Jennings served up five straight points, and six in total, during the onslaught. The Gators gradually edged their way closer to victory, only to have the plucky Crusaders chip away at their lead before Gorbahn ended the suspense.
“We just pulled through at the end,” said Alcock, a spry Grade 9 power hitter. “We worked harder and just brought up our game in general.”
The season-ending win was the 10th in the SAPEC fixtures. The Crusaders, seeded second in the playoffs, finished 8-2 (25 GW/8 GL), which included a 25-13, 26-24, 25-16 loss to the Gators in league play.
“We have a really great team with really strong players,” said Alcock, who was joined by Jennings, Gorbahn and Murphy as returning players on a roster comprised entirely of Grade 9 players. “I would say it’s a little bit better team than last year’s team.”
The Gators qualified for their ninth final in 10 years by sweeping the fourth-place Vincent J. Maloney Marauders 25-19, 25-10, 27-25 in the semifinals. The Crusaders advanced by defeating the third-place Sir George Simpson Voyageurs 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23.
“We did what we wanted to do and that was win the final,” Jennings said.
