Their best wasn't enough against the Kelowna Secondary School Owls.
That's what Pen High Lakers power Kaylie Loewen said following a disheartening four-set loss (11-25, 25-21, 11-25 and 11-25) Friday afternoon during AAAA senior volleyball provincials at Okanagan College in Penticton. The Lakers weren't able to build momentum after winning the second set to pull themselves even with the Owls, ranked third heading into the championship. Loewen said they played the best they had all season.
"KSS is a good team," said Loewen, wiping away tears. "We learned a lot about ourselves."
The loss was difficult for Loewen to take because it's her final season playing volleyball for the Lakers. Next fall she will play for Gonzaga State University.
"I've always wanted to beat them," she said.
In the third set, the Owls built an 11-5 lead that grew to 16-5. They edged the Lakers 9-6 after the final break to win it. In the final set, the Owls had leads of 8-2 and 16-6 before finishing it off. Mistakes and missed opportunities hurt the Lakers who appeared to remain positive the entire match.
"They played hard," said Lakers coach Robert Gunning. "They worked hard. There are no complaints. It's too bad we had to play KSS."
Gunning described the Owls as a relentless team with lots of options offensively.
"They have lots of energy and you have to match that," he said. "They worked hard and played good defence."
The Lakers next play in their home court Friday at Pen High at 3:40 p.m. facing West Vancouver.
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The Lakers concluded round robin play winning one of three matches putting them third in their pool. Playoff action begins Friday at Pen High Secondary and Okanagan College at 10 a.m. The Lakers will face their rivals the Kelowna Secondary School Owls at noon at Okanagan College. The winner of their match will move on to face either South Kamloops or West Vancouver at 7 p.m. Friday at Pen High.