The top high school senior boys and girls volleyball teams will attempt to hammer home their points as potential sa国际传媒 title-holders as provincial championships begin today and Thursday in numerous locations.
The boys鈥� triple-A and double-A tournament is served up simultaneously beginning today at the Langley Events Centre with Dover Bay, Oak Bay, Reynolds and Belmont representing Vancouver Island in triple-A play. Pacific Christian, Lambrick Park and Woodands will compete in double-A.
A total of 20 teams will battle in triple-A with 16 in the double-A field.
鈥淚n 3-A there are probably eight or nine teams that can win it and in 2-A I would say six or seven have a shot at it,鈥� said Neil Ryan, manager of the Pacific Christian Eagles, which open play at 9:30 a.m. versus Langley Fundamental.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very competitive in both. It鈥檚 changed over the years. Usually the top three or four teams are at a different level with representation from Team sa国际传媒 players. Like most sports, you have to be on top of your game all week.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be tough. We haven鈥檛 played many of these teams this year, so you鈥檙e not sure what to look for. Our goal is to go out and play our best and, hopefully, feed off our energy from the Islands,鈥� he added of his Island-champion team.
Lambrick Park faces Prince George鈥檚 D.P. Todd at the same time and Woodlands challenges Charles Hays at 10:45 a.m.
In triple-A play at 9:30 a.m., it鈥檚 Oak Bay against Walnut Grove; Dover Bay vs. Moscrop; Belmont vs. Prince George; and at 10:45 a.m. Reynolds challenges McMath. Dover Bay is power-pooled with Kelowna, Mt. Boucherie and Moscrop.
Meanwhile, the Dover Bay girls in Nanaimo welcome the quadruple-A event where the host and Island runners-up Dolphins are among the 16 teams, which also include Island champion Oak Bay and Mount Douglas.
鈥淚t really kind of is wide open,鈥� said Dolphins coach Dave Nelson. 鈥淚 really think that, if you鈥檙e playing well, anyone can win this tournament. Everybody is capable of beating everyone.鈥�
Handsworth is ranked No. 1, with Lord Tweedsmuir, Riverside and Oak Bay rounding out the top four. Dover Bay is situated in Pool C with Riverside, Mount Boucherie and Churchill. Oak Bay competes with Kelowna, Terry Fox and Moscrop, while Mount Doug draws Handsworth, Earl Marriott and South Delta.
The girls begin play Thursday at both Dover Bay and Vancouver Island University with medal matches set for Saturday at 5 and 7 p.m. at VIU.
Triple-A girls competition is set for Vernon Secondary with Timberline of Campbell River and Mark Isfeld of Courtenay in action in the 16-team field.
Brentwood College and Woodlands of Nanaimo are competing in the 16-team double-A girls championship at George Elliot Secondary in Lake Country in the Okanagan.
