The Lindsay Thurber Raiders girls captured gold Saturday at the 4A Alberta Schools Athletic Association provincial volleyball championships in Medicine Hat.
The Raiders topped the number one ranked team in the province, Western Canada Redhawks in four sets to take the title.
“They were ready to go, I was really impressed with them. They really held their composure and they were pretty calm heading into it, they knew what they wanted to do – gold was what we were shooting for and they were going to get it,” Raiders volleyball coach Kirsten Dezutter said.
“I can’t say enough. Unbelievably proud. I was super emotional and exhilarated to have it all come together at the right time. I felt that they were focused the whole time on what they needed to do. I was impressed that they were able to take each match at a time and not look ahead.”
Lindsay Thurber took silver last year when they hosted the 4A provincials after losing in the final to Jasper Place.
The Raiders finished first in pool play because of points for, a plus-26 point difference which was better than both Jasper Place and Western Canada.
They then swept both their playoff matchups, with 3-0 wins over Centennial High School in the quarter-final and Memorial Composite in the semis. They only lost three sets the entire weekend. Two of those set losses came to Jasper Place in the first game of round robin play.
ASAA 4A girls vball winners Lindsay Thurber in a hard fought match to win in 4 over Western Canada #ASAAProvs pic.twitter.com/cGsOfkmNp2
— ASAA (@ASAA) November 26, 2017
On the boys side in Medicine Hat, the Raiders brought home bronze. After a 3-0 loss to Jasper Place in the semi final Saturday afternoon, The Raiders beat Western Canada in a five-set thriller in the bronze medal match.
Congratulations to our Raiders Senior Boys Volleyball team who just won the @ASAA 4A Provincial Bronze Medal!! #RaiderPride pic.twitter.com/kbDLb3cleR
— Lindsay Thurber Comp (@LindsayThurber) November 26, 2017
In Eckville, at the 1A Boys provincials Central Alberta Christian High School out of Lacombe captured gold over Senator Gershaw School. Olds Koinonia Christian School won the bronze.
In the 3A final at H.J Cody in Sylvan Lake, St. Joseph Catholic out of Grande Prarie took home gold with Cochrane High School picking up silver. Lethbridge College won bronze.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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