Willow Creek Cobra girls win home tournament on the weekend
By Rob Vogt Local Press Writer
The Willow Creek Composite High School senior varsity girls volleyball team made history by winning their home tournament for the first time in recent memory this past weekend. The Cobras beat the Lomond Lions in the final on Saturday night, Sept. 14, in two straight sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-13.
Claresholm had a scare in their semi-final against Oilfields of Black Diamond when they fell behind 16-6 in the first game before re-grouping to win 25-21, then sweeping the match with a 25-11 win in the second game.
The Cobras qualified for the semi-final by finishing first in Pool “B” by winning nine of a possible 10 games. They started on Friday afternoon by splitting with Chinook of Lethbridge, winning the first game by a score of 25-8 before losing the second game by a score of 25-9.
The Cobras would not lose another game all weekend. They beat Oilfields 25-21 and 25-22, and St. Joseph’s of Brooks by scores of 25-22 and 25-16 to close out Friday. They resumed play Saturday morning, defeating J.T. Foster of Nanton by scores of 25-2 and 25-10, then wrapped up round-robin play with a 25-12, 25-21 win over Lomond.
Coach JoAnna Sutter was proud of her team’s play. She said the turning point was that semi-final against Oilfields where the Cobras fell behind 16-6. Sutter told the team they had to decide whether they wanted to fight their way back into the match, or stop fighting.
“They wanted it,” she said. The result was a stirring comeback victory, that paved the way to win the whole tournament. Looking ahead, Sutter said the Cobras have already beaten teams that historically have beaten them. “We used to defeat ourselves,” she said. “This time we defeated the other team.”
The Cobras are made up of three players each from Grades 10, 11, and 12. “This year I have a group that want to play,” Sutter said. “They want to win.” “The skill level is pretty high,” she later added. “I’m looking forward to this season.”
The Cobras host their home opener tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 18. The junior varsity game starts at 6 p.m. with the senior varsity game to follow.
