Staff
The win-loss record wasn’t a big deal to Anne Jean.
The fact her team got to be around to post any kind of record was a reward in itself.
“It was definitely amazing,” said the Grade 11 member of the Muskie senior girls’ volleyball team, which went 1-3 at the OFSAA ‘A/AA’ championships March 9-11 in Dryden.
“Getting to be there was so good,” she noted.
“And it wasn’t just our individual skill but working together as a team that got us there.”
The top-ranked Eden Eagles (St. Catharines) lived up to their advance billing by sweeping the third-seeded Widdifield Wildcats (North Bay) in the final by scores of 25-13, 25-11, and 25-23.
The 12th-ranked Muskies, who captured NorWOSSA silver before winning the NWOSSAA title on home court late last month, didn’t look out of place in their first OFSAA appearance since 2006.
In the first set of their opening two best-of-three matches against the fifth-ranked General Amherst Bulldogs (Amherstburg), the eventual consolation champs, and second-seeded Les Laser des College catholique Samuel-Genest (Ottawa), the black-and-gold gave the favourites everything they could handle.
But they faltered in the second sets to fall 25-22/25-13 to the Bulldogs and 25-23/25-12 to Les Laser.
“If we had won the first set in both those matches, it would have made a huge difference,” said Jean.
“But I felt like we lost a lot of confidence going into the second set in each.
“We really felt run down in both matches,” she added. “They tired us out.”
Already out of contention for a berth in the championship playoff bracket, the Muskies came out relaxed against the previously-undefeated Southwood Sabres (Cambridge), who were seeded 15th, and claimed a 2-1 victory (14-25, 25-13, and 15-8) to close out play in Pool ‘C.’
“We knew we had it in us to win that match, just as we did in the first two matches,” Jean remarked.
“It was a great confidence boost to get our first OFSAA win.
“Going in from little Fort Frances and taking on these teams from southern Ontario, to be able to come away with a win was real sweet,” she added.
“It showed that even though we lost our first two [matches], we were still in the tournament and still competing.”
With their fourth-place finish in Pool ‘C’, the Muskies went into the consolation quarter-finals against the No. 13-ranked L’Amoreaux Saints (Scarborough), who were third in Pool ‘D.’
The Saints started strong, then fended off a strong Fort High push in the third set to take the best-of-five match 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, and 25-21).
“L’Amoreaux was so good,” lauded Jean.
“They had this one hitter who was so amazing, we couldn’t pick up on any of her hits.
“But we were still in there,” she added. “I don’t think the result was indicative of the match.”
Many may look at next season as a rebuilding year for Fort High, with Grade 12 players Carly Taggart, Abbi Perreault, Cassandra Moffitt, Hannah McLeod, Sierra Cousineau, Hailey McEvoy, and Brooke McGinnis all likely moving on.
That leaves the quartet of Jean, Kennedy Nelson, Claire Hyatt, and Alex Adrian as the only prospective veterans on next year’s squad.
But Jean is embracing—rather than fearing—the mission that lies on the horizon.
“I’m so excited that the four of us will be back,” she enthused.
“We originally played together in our first year of playing volleyball . . . hopefully, we can use what we learned from our veterans this year,” she added.
“[And] I have total confidence in the junior players we’ll have coming up.”
