Celtics top seed at zones

By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com

St. Mary’s Celtics boys volleyball team are entering 2A south zones as the number-one seed with competition starting this Thursday at Lethbridge College.

Given how deep the zone is that will have two berths for provincials, that number is just another number for head coach Derry Kolody as the team is taking nothing for granted.

“I’ve always been an underdog and never been comfortable being the top seed. I think there are teams lower than us that don’t think we should be that seed. They see holes in our game and see us as beatable,” said Kolody. “I’m going in with the mind frame that we still have things to prove. We’ve had a good season, with a lot of experience from the tournaments that we have learned from. We are more steady, from the ups, the downs and we are just going to giver ‘er.”

Kate Andrews and Picture Butte play in a 3A/4A league, to go with Immanuel Christian, Fort Macleod and St. Michael’s from Pincher Creek as teams that can beat each other on any given match, with Vauxhall as a wild card in a very deep south pool.

“The format is round-robin games (in pool play). Playoffs are Saturday and if you can get hot and ride the wave, who knows what’s going to happen,” said Kolody. “Teams will be gunning for us. It will be also how crossover games look. You can’t take any games off. You got to get out of your pool play and then get hot.”

The team has had a bit of a layoff from tournament play, with Kolody calling in some favours to keep the team sharp heading into Thursday’s competition.

“I call some older guys out every once in awhile to come and play. Randy Spenrath, the pastor from our church, John (Muller), Randy’s kids — experienced guys to come out and play us the last couple of weeks,” said Kolody. “Lucas Dykstra, he plays for Lethbridge College, and he came out with some guys. We want to maintain that focus where it’s an intersquad game, but it isn’t as we try and keep the intensity up and keep our eye on the prize.”

St. Mary’s Celtics boys volleyball team starts its 2A out zone run on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Vauxhall Vikings at Lethbridge College.