Staff
Goal #1–check.
Regardless if they won or lost their regular-season finale yesterday in Dryden, the Muskie junior boys’ volleyball team has first place sewn up and a bye to the final at the NorWOSSA playoffs this coming Tuesday (Nov. 7) in Kenora.
“One of our goals was to finish atop the NorWOSSA league standings as it will give our guys confidence going into the NorWOSSA championship as we know that we can beat both Kenora and Dryden,” head coach Amy Wilson-Hands said yesterday via e-mail.
With the bye in hand, Wilson-Hands said yesterday’s match in Dryden would see more of the team’s bench playing to give their starters some much-needed recovery time.
She also sees it as an advantage come next Tuesday as the Muskies await the semi-final winner between the Eagles and Kenora Broncos.
“The great thing about having a bye to the final is a little bit more rest before the big game,” Wilson-Hands remarked.
“Every team that is playing in the semi-final is going hard to make it to the NorWOSSA final so having the [match] go to five sets isn’t uncommon, which means a lot of energy is being used,” she noted.
“Meanwhile, we will rest, hydrate, and have a long warm up with trainer/coach Terry McMahon before we hit the court.”
As for who the Muskies would rather face in the final with NorWOSSA gold on the line?
“We watched some game footage of both teams last week and made a game plan for both of them,” Wilson-Hands noted.
“We executed our game plan against Kenora in our last home game which worked.”
Wilson-Hands said the Broncos have a great setter in Sutton Tresoor, as well as a great big hitter in Ethan Alcock, who sometimes can be hard to shut down.
She noted the Eagles also have a big hitter in Mason Brown, as well as pretty solid defence.
“So regardless of who we meet, they’re going to bring everything they’ve got,” Wilson-Hands warned.
“I know it will be a good [match].”
The Muskies were coming off a 3-1 win last Wednesday here against Kenora (set scores were 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, and 25-19).
“Honestly, this wasn’t our best game that we have played,” Wilson-Hands admitted. “Our boys lacked a bit of motivation and intensity.
“I think they were probably tired and needed some recovery time as we had a lot of volleyball within the last two weeks.
“[But] with us not being at the top of our game, we were still able to pull out a win and I believe that was because we found the holes in their defence,” she added.
As for looking ahead, Wilson-Hands said the boys are excited heading into the NorWOSSA playoffs.
“They’ve worked extremely hard all year long and NorWOSSA is what they have all been waiting for,” she remarked.
“The nerves will be there for a bit but that is where our mental training will come into place, as well as our ability to focus.”
Wilson-Hands also noted it will be her last game as a Muskie coach as her family is moving to southern Ontario shortly after the NorWOSSA playoffs.
“So I know the boys want to win the championship for not only themselves but also the coaching staff,” she revealed.
“[But] like I’ve said before, regardless of the outcome, these boys are better players than they were nine short weeks ago,” Wilson-Hands said.
“They’ve not only grown as athletes but also young men.
“I beam with pride every single time we execute a hitting play, dig up a huge hit, or make a big block,” she remarked.
“It brings a lot of tears to my eyes because I am so proud of each and every single one of them.”
In the meantime, Wilson-Hands said the team will be focusing on communication at practices leading up to NorWOSSA.
“Everything else is set,” she noted. “Our systems are good to go, our mental training is there, our focus is there but we will need to be able to communicate with another as that is how our trust builds during the game.
“That gym [in Kenora] is going to be loud so communication will be of the utmost importance,” Wilson-Hands stressed.
“We also have been working on a few new plays which I’m not sure we will use during the championship, but they’re in our back pocket if we need them,” she added.
