North Star went into the WECSSAA sr. girls AA final as the favourites to beat Belle River and retain the title for a fifth straight year. It looked as though the Nobles had other plans as they played toe to toe with the champs.
"It took us a while to adapt to the game but once we got used to the different speed level the we finally got more comfortable as the game went on." said North Star head coach Jeff Miller.
The Wolves broke away midway through the first set to win 25-15. "It was definitely challenging," said Emily Beauregard. "Definitely was a wakeup call. It made us play our game even more I'd say."
North Star dominated the rest of the way with outside hitter Lauren Essenpreis powering the Wolves to 25-10, 25-11 wins to take the match 3-0. They advance to SWOSSA next week.
"Them pushing harder just motivated us to play harder." said Essenpreis who is impressed with how the team has responded in the absence of two injured starters. "We appreciate everyone on the team who has stepped up. They have worked so hard to play new positions they've never played before. They're doing great."
Despite the shortage Miller's team went 8-0 in the Tier 1 division this season. "We're trying to use what we have to play the best volleyball that we can."
Belle River head coach Karlee Parent is proud of her team after finishing with an 8-1 record in Tier 2 during the regular season. "They're a talented team and they did really well the entire season so I'm very proud of them," Parent said. "I wish they would have given them more of a run for their money because I know that they have that in them and I know they have the talent to do that but silver medal isn't bad. I'm proud of them."
Check out the highlight pack from the match.
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