Cobra volleyball girls take second
second place - The Willow Creek Composite High School senior varsity girls’ volleyball team took second place in their home tournament held on Sept. 12 and 13. In back from left are JoAnna Sutter, coach; Jewel Simpson; Maya Sabey; Jessica Mackin; Twyla Cyr; Laney Hoffman; Olivia Perricelli; and Twyla Cyr, coach; while in front from left are Jade Ancheta; Lily Ferguson; Brinn Cutler; and Hayley Bronson. Photo by Rob Vogt
By Rob Vogt
It is not how you start, but how you finish that counts.
The Willow Creek Composite High School senior varsity girls’ volleyball team proved that this past weekend with a stirring run to the final of their home tournament after finishing next to last in round robin play.
The Cobras welcomed teams from Lethbridge; Vulcan; Brant; Coalhurst; Picture Butte; Milk River; Nobleford; Pincher Creek; and High River to their annual Cobra Classic on Sept. 12 and 13.
The Cobras dropped their opening match to the Chinook High School junior varsity team of Lethbridge by scores of 25-16 and 25-21 on Friday afternoon.
Their next match was against Brant who the Cobras defeated by scores of 25-22 and 25-12.
They opened play Saturday morning splitting with County Central High School of Vulcan losing 35-23 then rebounding to win 25-17.
Claresholm concluded round-robin play with a 25-22, 25-19 loss to Coalhurst.
The results left the Cobras in fourth place in Pool A, and a date with Nobleford who finished fifth in Pool B.
Claresholm won that match in straight sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-19, setting up a match with Picture Butte, who finished first in Pool B.
The Cobras took control early, winning the first set by a score of 25-14, then held off a Picture Butte comeback to win the second set 25-22 and the match 2-0.
Awaiting Claresholm in the semi-final were the Coalhurst Crusaders.
The two teams engaged in an epic battle that literally came down to that last point.
The Cobras jumped out to an early lead in the first set before Coalhurst came storming back to tie the game.
However, Claresholm prevailed to take the opening set by a score of 26-24.
The second set was just as close, as the teams traded points throughout.
Then, with the Cobras leading 25-24, Jewel Simpson hammered a spike that was met with a block at the top of the net.
The ball spun – and spun – and seemed to hang on top of the net for an eternity before it fell to the floor on Coalhurst’s side of the net.
It was Claresholm’s point giving them the game by a score of 26-24 and the match 2-0.
That put the Cobras in the final where they gave Vulcan all they could handle before falling in straight sets by 25-21 and 29-27.
Still, it was a magical run to second place for the Cobras.