After handily winning all their games at the Houston zone tournament in Smithers last weekend, the senior girls volleyball team at Houston Christian School is going on to provincials.
Speaking on the court after their gold-medal game, coach Emily Duzan wasted no time laying out the game-plan.
“We’ve got a couple more practices to give ‘er,” she said, adding that the way the girls practice will have to shift over the next 10 days or so.
“We’ve got to block more, we’ve got to cut more. It’s stiff competition out there,” she said.
Hosted in Prince George on Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, Duzan said the teams to beat at that tournament come from Kelowna and the Lower Mainland: High Road Academy, Immaculada and Kelowna Christian High School.
“There’s some history,” she said, laughing. HCS has gone to provincials three times, but has yet to taste victory.
“Third time’s the charm,” she said.
Duzan said it’s no secret why the girls have done so well—it’s all about work ethic.
“We’ve got great girls. They work so stinking hard,” she said. “At the end of practice—lots of people don’t think they’re as hard as games—but they’re just dripping sweat. And it shows on the court.”
At a recent tournament in Prince Rupert, Duzan said organizers handed her an all-star shirt at the beginning of the weekend to give to her star player.
“I couldn’t pick,” she said. “I cut the shirt up into ten pieces!”