The Princess Margaret Mustangs have advanced to the senior girls Okanagan Valley championship after a pair of wins on Wednesday.
The Mustangs, who play in a Kelowna League, hosted South-Central Okanagan zone play. They opened by defeating the Summerland Rockets 25-16 and 25-14. Mustangs co-captain Farnaaz Johal said their game was good.
“Usually we struggle with them a little bit because they are a good team,” said Johal. “We struggle with our serving a lot. That gets us down. Sometimes after a big point we miss a serve. I think what won us the game was consistent serving and doing our part on our side of the court.”
One area the Mustangs were particularly strong were scramble plays and their ability to get to the ball.
“I think what really helped is when the ball goes over the net, and it’s on their side, I think it helps mentally resetting each individually,” said Mustangs co-captain Laura Ciancone. “I think we just like to help each other out and work as a team to regain our play.”
Against the George Elliot Coyotes, the Mustangs had a slow start, dropping the first set 16-25. The rebounded to win 25-20 and 15-13.
“George Elliot had the momentum going into the second set but after adjusting a few positions in the line up we were able to come out strong,” said Mustangs coach Katie Reum of their win. “The third set we played smart and kept pushing until the end. Our captains (Far and Laura) stepped up and helped bring up the rest of the team.”
Reum said they have been dealing with many injuries so the players have been flexible as she and assistant coach Alannah Stewart adjust line ups and move players positions around.
The Mustangs are 13-1 and winning both games puts them first in the league and the AA zone. Reum said that should seed them well for valleys coming up in Kamloops on Nov. 18 to 19.
The next action for the Mustangs will be when they host the Pen High Lakers in the fourth annual Cross City Volleyball Championship on Nov. 15. The senior girls play at 6 p.m. and the senior boys are at 7:15 p.m.
Students of all ages are encouraged to attend. Those from the Mustangs catchment area are asked to dress in red and black to support the Mustangs, while the Lakers supporters are asked to wear purple and gold.
The last time the teams met, more than 500 fans packed Pen High. The Mustang senior girls won in two sets, 25-6 and 25-16, while the Laker boys won 25-14, 21-25 and 15-11.
The championship is also being used as a kickoff to the 10,000 Tonight Food Drive. Spectators are asked to bring non-perishable items to donate to the Food Bank.