Fernie Secondary School (FSS) has some talented volleyball players, with the Sr. Girls and Sr. Boys teams both going undefeated in a recent regional championship.
The Kootenay Zone Championships took place on Nov. 18 and 19 in Castlegar, and featured tournaments for both boys and girls at the A and AA levels. Sparwood Secondary School was also present and the Sr. Girls A team went 5-0.
As for FSS, Sr. Girls AA head coach Andrea Reed said they went 4-0.
“They played the whole weekend undefeated,” she said.
The wins brought them to a 38-4 record for the season up to that point.
The other teams in the Sr. Girls AA competition were Creston, Invermere, Stanley Humphries Secondary (Castlegar), Grand Forks, and Selkirk Secondary (Kimberley).
Their final match was against Selkirk Secondary and FSS won in the fourth set, making it a 3-1 victory.
Reed said they played some of the best volleyball she’d seen all season.
“I think they should all be proud of the accomplishment they’ve had, not only at zones, but the season so far.
“This is our first regular season back after COVID, so to be able to come back and show the skills and the level that they have been showing is something that they should all be proud of.”
The FSS Sr. Girls AA team will be in Merritt for the provincials from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. They are ranked 7th out of 16 teams in the province going into that tournament.
As for the Sr. Boys A team, they also came in first place, going undefeated through the whole tournament with a 4-0 record, according to their head coach, Dennis Anderson.
“We won all our games, never lost a set, they played great,” he said.
The boys played against Salmo, Sparwood, Mt. Sentinel Secondary (South Slocan), and Elkford.
Their final game was against Elkford and they won 3-0.
“They played fantastic, they played their best volleyball of the season.”
The Sr. Boys will be heading to Duncan for provincials taking place from Dec. 1 to 3. Anderson said they are seeded 8th of 16.
Speaking to the skill of volleyball players in the Elk Valley, Anderson said “I think having (the Fernie Volleyball Club) here in town makes a big difference.”
Reed also credited the volleyball training efforts in the area.
“I think you’re starting to see all the hard work by all the community coaches that do club and camps all throughout the year,” she said.
“We’re now starting to see some of that progress show, which is good, it’s been fantastic.”
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