ASSINIBOIA - The Assiniboia Rockets senior boys’ volleyball team captured the silver medal at the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association 3A boys provincial championship which was held in Unity on November 24 and 25.
The Rockets finished first in their pool 4-0 defeating teams from Osler Valley Christian Academy, Regina Christian School, Clavet, and Spiritwood.
This was no easy task as three of the top four teams that finished in the provincial tournament ended up coming from the Rocket’s pool. The other pool consisted of teams from Esterhazy, Dalmeny, Unity, Kipling, and Shaunavon.
Assiniboia’s pool play success advanced them to the playoffs where they faced off against Kipling in the quarter-finals winning 25-15 and 25-21.
This win assured the team that they would be competing for a provincial medal. The Rockets faced off against Regina Christian School again in the semi-finals where the hometown squad dropped the first set 21-25, but rallied winning the next two sets 25-17 and 15-12 punching their ticket to the provincial gold medal final for the second consecutive year.
Assiniboia met Esterhazy in the final, who finished first in the other pool which meant it was a true battle of the two best teams. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be this year as the Rockets lost 11-25 and 21-25.
Head coach Matthew Lothian stated, “Our team put in three months of continuous hard work and dedication which was evident in the successes we had this season. It’s not the finish we wanted, but provincial silver is still something to be very proud of. Our team is thankful for all the parent, school, fan, and community support that we received this year. We are proud to be apart of Rocket Nation!”
