Jamie Mountain
The Rainy River Owls’ junior girls’ volleyball team was hoping to finish off the regular season strong.
Mission accomplished.
The Owls won two of their three matches last week to finish the NorWOSSA ‘A’ season with a 6-2 record and earn a playoff berth–the lone RRHS squad to do so.
“We are the only court sport team from Rainy that made [the] playoffs so we have a lot of gym time to prepare,” noted head coach Corey Smith, who also coaches the Owls’ senior boys’ basketball team.
“We will be working hard for the next three weeks and we will be ready,” he vowed.
The Owls kicked things off with an impressive 3-0 sweep of the host Red Lake Rams last Tuesday before suffering a hard-fought 3-2 loss to the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints in Kenora the following day.
But RRHS rebounded in a big way on Friday with a 3-0 defeat of the visiting Pelican Falls Timberwolves in make-up match for one that was postponed back on Jan. 9.
“The girls are starting to understand the game a little more,” lauded Smith.
“We had a tough five-set loss against T.A. but still took the point from them overall,” he noted. “It’s great experience for the girls to get into those tough matches.
“I think we will be better for it in the end.
“Because of the success they had in basketball, the volleyball success doesn’t surprise me,” Smith added.
“They are a great group of athletes and we are looking forward to working hard to get ready for NorWOSSA,” he enthused.
Smith also feels the Owls will have success in the playoffs if they can understand the game of volleyball and what’s needed to play at a high level.
“The girls have a lot of skill but until they understand all of the ways they can make it difficult for the opposing team, we will struggle,” he warned.
As for the senior squad, they went 1-2 in their matches last week to finish the season with a 2-6 record and miss the playoffs.
The Owls defeated the host Rams 3-2 last Tuesday but then were swept 3-0 by the Saints in Kenora the following day.
Then in their make-up match against the Timberwolves on Friday, they suffered a hard-fought 3-2 loss at home.
In boys’ basketball action, meanwhile, the senior Owls won two of their three games last week to finish the season shy of a playoff berth with a 4-4 record.
They suffered a 65-32 defeat at the hands of the host Rams last Tuesday, but then rebounded with a narrow 58-57 win over the Saints in Kenora the following day.
The Owls then routed the visiting Timberwolves by 25 points in their make-up game Friday to end the season on a high note.
“The boys played great,” Smith said. “They have really come together as a team this season and I’m upset that it’s over already.
“The biggest challenge was the size of the Pelican Falls team,” he added. “They had a lot of size in the front court and we had to play physical, and rebound well, to be successful.
“We were a bunch of individuals at the beginning of the season [but] the leadership throughout the season brought the team together as one,” Smith enthused.
He’s hopeful his returning players will continue to play basketball throughout the off-season and that his graduating players stay active in the sport no matter what level they play at.
“I hope they continue playing basketball through the off-season, especially working on their jump shots and their fitness,” Smith said of the returnees.
“I hope they continue to work on their game and stay active through intramurals or men’s league,” he added of the graduating players.
“Many of them have a love for the game and I hope they continue that through whatever is next for them.”
As for the juniors, they lost all three of their games last week to finish league play with a 1-7 record.
After losing to the host Rams last Tuesday (score not available), the Owls fell 45-39 to the host Saints the following day.
Then they ended the season with a 40-28 loss to the visiting Timberwolves in their make-up game Friday.
