It will be an all Okotoks final in the upcoming Foothills Athletic Council girls volleyball championships.
But just barely.
The Foothills Falcons had to comeback to narrowly get by the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans 3-2, with the final set going to 16-14 at the council semifinal on Nov. 4 at the Comp.
“STS wanted it – they came prepared and our heads were not prepared,” said Falcons coach Joanne Schoneck. “That’s been our problem all year – not coming out with the want and desire.”
The Falcons’ council season nearly came to an abrupt end when after winning the first set 25-18, the Spartans rattled off two straight victories, 25-21 and 25-22 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five match.
STS had jumped out to a 14-9 lead in the second set and the Falcons were able to cut the margin to 16-15, but when the Spartans got the serve back at 17-15, Louisa Pittman served aggressively four straight times and STS jumped out to 21-15 advantage to virtually put the game away.
STS won the third set when six-foot-middle, Martha Valmana – who had missed STS’s loss earlier this season to Foothills – was a blocking dynamo. She showed a soft touch on a tip over the Falcons’ blockers to put the Spartans up 24-21.
They would win the game when an errant Falcons’ serve went into the net.
Foothills had something nearly as strong as desire going into the third set – panic. A loss and STS would be going to the FAC finals.
“We told ourselves we have to show up for the next two games because we’re not missing finals,” said Falcons setter Mayla Melnechenko. “Especially since this is our last year for the Grade 12s.”
Libero Katie Ivanek said the players talked to one another and vowed to take accountability for each other.
They responded with a 25-9 victory to force the fifth and deciding set to 15.
The Falcons appeared to be on Easy Street as they jumped out to a 10-5 lead, but then they got a change of address.
STS battled back to tie the game at 10-10. After a Falcons timeout Foothills rattled of three straight points to take a 13-10 lead. STS would tie the game at 14-14 to force the extra points.
Foothills took the first advantage when Falcon Kallie Ball rifled a spike to make it 15-14. Foothills would win the game 16-14 when the Spartans were called for an illegal hit.
It was a wake-up call for the Falcons.
“I feel like we didn’t come into this game as motivated as we should be – we came out really flat,” said Falcons power Claire Sweeney.
The Falcons will face the Holy Trinity Academy Knights in the FAC final on Nov. 6 at HTA.
The Knights, the no. 1 seed in the council playoffs, downed the pesky Highwood Mustangs 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 in the other semifinal on Nov. 4 at HTA.
“I thought we were tired and not everybody really came out to play,” said Knights captain Jordyn Sealock. “Highwood played really well.”
She said if the Knights don’t have their game faces on for the final, it won’t be pretty.
“We have to come out to play,” Sealock said. “Foothills has some really strong hitters. If we don’t come out to play, they are going to crush us.”
The Knights and the Falcons have met three times this season, with the Knights winning two of the three outings.
“We have to show up,” Knights coach Melanie Glanville said of the Nov. 6 final. “When Foothills gets on a streak they go with that really well. We have to work on that if we make one mistake, we can get over it quickly
“But we're ready.”
Schoneck said the Knights are a strong hitting and blocking team, led by powers Kylee Glanville and Sealock and middle Jada Wagner. She added the Falcons will also be ready as their defence has much improved over the course of the season.
