The Grande Prairie Tomahawks are the No. 1 ranked 4A high school boys’ volleyball team in the province and they showed why at the Lindsay Thurber boys’ and girls’ tournament during the weekend.
The Tomahawks defeated the Hunting Hills Lightning 25-19, 27-25 in the final after beating Harry Ainlay of Edmonton 25-22, 25-13 in the semifinal.
The Lightning beat the Notre Dame Cougars 18-25, 25-22, 15-13 in the other semifinal.
Grande Prairie posted a 7-0 record in pool play with Hunting Hills and Notre Dame at 5-2 and Harry Ainlay and Western Canada of Calgary at 4-3. The host Raiders were 2-5 with Lethbridge Catholic Central at 1-6 and Salisbury of Sherwood Park at 0-7.
In pool play Saturday, Hunting Hills downed Harry Ainlay 27-26, 19-25, 15-6 and Salisbury 25-18, 25-14 and lost 15-25, 18-25 to Grande Prairie.
Notre Dame beat LTCHS 25-12, 25-20 and Harry Ainlay 25-22, 27-25 and lost 20-25, 25-23, 7-15 to Grande Prairie.
LTCHS defeated Catholic Central 25-13, 25-22 and lost 20-25, 24-26 to Western Canada.
Meanwhile on the girls’ side, Harry Ainlay beat Catholic Central 25-17, 28-26 in the championship game.
Ainlay downed LTCHS 25-23, 25-21 in the semifinals while Catholic Central beat Bev Facey of Sherwood Park 25-22, 25-16.
LTCHS edged Bev Facey 23-25, 25-14, 15-13 in the bronze medal game.
In quarter-final action, Harry Ainlay defeated Hunting Hills 25-21, 25-14, Bev Facey defeated Notre Dame 25-22, 19-25, 15-9, LTCHS stopped Grande Prairie 20-25, 25-12, 15-11 and Catholic Central downed Western Canada 25-20, 25-21.
In pool play Saturday, LTCHS stopped Notre Dame 25-18, 25-22 and lost 22-25, 23-25 to Catholic Central, who also beat Notre Dame 25-16, 25-17.
Hunting Hills defeated Salisbury 25-18, 25-23 and lost 25-21, 22-25, 13-15 to Western Canada.