Rebels girls primed for league playoff run

By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com

W.R. Myers Rebels varsity girls volleyball team is coming down the home stretch to its season as it prepares for the Southern Alberta High School Girls Volleyball League championship this Saturday at Chinook in Lethbridge.

“I think the league championship will be who just shows up,” said Sam Bennett, head coach of the W.R. Myers Rebels varsity girls volleyball team. “Honestly anyone in the top seven (in the standings) could win.”

The league championship is divided into two tiers this year with the Rebels competing in Division ‘B.’

“In our league we had Magrath (Pandas) go undefeated and Chinook went 8-1, but outside of that games (in matches) were taken off of them,” said Bennett.

The team is going into playoffs and then upcoming zones with plenty of momentum, having taken Magrath’s tournament on the Oct. 25 weekend wit big wins over Centennial from Calgary in the final and LCI Clippers in the semifinals.

“I wouldn’t say it was the best volleyball we’ve played, but we played well. It was the most consistent tournament we had which has been our struggle, is finding that consistency,” said Bennett. “We struggled with the very first match of the tournament, but we didn’t lose a game after that.”

The Rebels, Catholic Central, Raymond, St. Mary’s, Picture Butte and Kate Andrews will be battling for ‘B’ pool supremacy.

“I think we are starting to peak at the right time and lots of players have improved for sure,” said Bennett. “If we can be consistent, we will do really well. We’ve beat a lot of good teams this year when we’ve played well, we just have to play well often.”

The following weekend, Nov. 13-15 will see the Rebels compete in a deep 3A south zone to be one of two representatives for provincials.

“The 3A zone is going to be super competitive with Winston Churchill, LCI, Cardston, Catholic Central, McCoy and Eagle Butte and all those teams are strong,” said Bennett. “If you make the final, you are in provincials. ”