Submitted by
Caroline Spencer
The 16U Fort Frances Vipers travelled to Kenora on Sunday to compete in the Northstars 16U girls’ invitational tournament.
Their first match was against a familiar opponent in the 15U Dryden Whiskeyjacks.
The scoring was back and forth in the first game before the Whiskeyjacks edged ahead at 17-13.
The Vipers fought back with some timely kills by Samara Payne but the Whiskeyjacks prevailed by a 26-24 score.
The second set was a different affair, with the Vipers taking the lead and not giving it up en route to a 25-22 victory.
Mackenzie Carlson stood out in the front court with four kills, while Gwen Macdonald was a blocking power on defence.
The Vipers also had a strong showing in their second match against the Kenora Lakers 16U team.
They won both games by scores of 25-20 and 25-14 due, in part, to strong net play by Jamie Spencer with four blocks and three kills, along with 16 points on serve between the two sets.
Hailee Barnard also had a strong match with eight points on her serve and three kills.
The win gave the Vipers first place in their pool and a bye in the first playoff round.
The Vipers faced those same Lakers in the playoffs, this time beating them by scores of 25-18 and 25-13.
The lineup was juggled in this match, moving Pasquel Shortreed to the right side and using Samara Payne as the libero.
The move paid off as Shortreed had four kills, two blocks, and five point on serve.
Alex Spuzak, meanwhile, was solid on defence–scrambling to keep the ball in play despite a nagging hip injury.
In the final, the Vipers faced the Whiskeyjacks again and, as expected, an exciting match ensued.
The first set went to the Whiskeyjacks 25-21 but it was a see-saw affair, with the lead changing hands seven times.
Simone Payne donned the libero jersey for this match and had 12 solid digs that allowed Alina Eldridge at setter to run a strong offence.
The Vipers’ serving was a little shaky, which allowed the Whiskeyjacks the win.
The second set was a different story, with the Vipers coasting to a 25-15 win.
Spencer and Shortreed, blocking in the middle, closed the door on Dryden’s hitters while Eldridge was unstoppable covering the tip attempts when the Whiskeyjacks’ hit was shut down.
The match went to the third set and again the teams battled hard down to the wire.
The Vipers’ nerves played a factor, unfortunately, and the end result was a heart-breaking 12-15 loss.
Spencer and Carlson were notables in this set with seven points on serve and five kills between them,
The 16U Vipers next travel to a tournament April 21-22 at Grant Park High School in Winnipeg.
