The 3A senior ladies team at Macklin High School are taking a shot at a provincial title this weekend. Neighbours Unity are also in the mix at the finals tournament at the Macklin school.
Ten Saskatchewan teams will be on the court from Friday through Saturday. Apart from the two area contenders, the list includes Lanigan, Carnduff, Briercrest Christian Academy, Maple Creek, Kipling, Oxbow, Dalmeny, and Watrous.
George Tough has been coaching for over two-decades. In 2019 the school won provincial gold. The team bowed out in the quarter finals last year and this year they are up a division from 2A to 3A. He sizes up the competition from the bigger schools.
“We have the defending champion this year coming back, Carnduff – they’ll be strong. There are some teams that play some club volleyball on a regular basis like Oxbow; some girls from Briercrest, Watrous. I just think we need to work together as a team, communicate and just relax out there and enjoy the experience.”
Macklin is in Pool A and play their first game against Lanigan at 2 p.m. CST on Friday Nov. 18 on court 1. Unity is in Pool B and will see action at 1 p.m. CST against Oxbow on court 2.
Captain Reese Weinkauf has been playing volleyball for six-years. The grade 12 student is looking forward to the final contest.
“When it comes to game time, we are going to try our best to take it one point at a time – put the balls high and slow down the play, to try and keep ourselves from scrambling. But overall lifting each other up on the court and staying positive will be the key to our success.”
Weinkauf expects all the teams to bring “good competition”.
The finals begin with the opening ceremony at 10:45 a.m. CST on Friday at the Macklin Credit Union Legacy Centre before games start at the Macklin High School at noon.
More details and a live stream can be found on the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association website.