LANGLEY – By Derek Shuel
The fans at the LEC were entertained with an exciting re-match of last year’s AA boys quarter-final contest between the crosstown rivals from Abbotsford! Similar to last years match between the defending Provincial Champion Abbotsford Christian Knights and the M.E.I Eagles that went deep into the 5th set, tonight’s game saw an early seesaw battle of the nerves. Needless to say, a lot was on the line for these two teams who know each other and their game systems excessively well!
ACS Josh Apperloo working around the MEI block. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)`
The first set saw the Eagles get off to a 4-1 start, but it was quite evident that both teams were feeling the nerves and the pressure of a Provincial semi-final. With back and forth game play that saw the game knotted at 8-8 and 14-14, ACS finally hit their stride and out paced the Eagles 25-22. Knights Josh Apperloo and setter Zac Meinen seemed to be connecting from all areas of the court!
In the second, MEI got off to another 4-1 start but ACS quickly rallied and again we were all square at 13-13. MEI needed to get some of their big guns like 6’6 outside hitter Tyson Ardell to step up, and step he did! With much of the volume being shifted to Ardell, the battle was on with the Knight’s Apperloo. This set would turn M.E.I’s way with a final set score of 25-22.
The third set saw other key players step in and hit some key points, namely Knight’s outside slugger Jake Stobbe, and M.E.I’s Hunter Arul-pragasam and Jonathan Letkemann. A key point in this set saw a net call overturned in favor of A.C.S to have them down 7-6, but M.E.I seemed to refocus and kept pushing to win the set 25-16.
With A.C.S now down 2-1 in the match, and M.E.I seeming to have not solved it’s connection in the middle, A.C.S seemed primed to press this match to the limit. But, after an 8-3 start for M.E.I, and the Eagles Letkemann finding ways around the large A.C.S block, it wasn’t looking bright for them. With M.E.I up 17-10, the Knights mounted one last charge to close the gap to 5, but M.E.I solved its middle issues seeing Trey Smith close out the match with solid kill to make it 25-15.
MEI’s big 6’6″ Tyson Ardell power working hard at the net. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)
At the completion of the match, coach Rocky Olfert and assistant Jordan Moulder were impressed to see their hitters come alive at the right time and in a pressure filled event. Ardell finished with 24 kills, Arulpragasam with 12 and Letkemann with 10. When asked about their match-up with LCS tomorrow (Season record 6-2), Olfert said,
“we can’t get too high or too low, just play nice steady volleyball.”
Also, with six grade 11 players who regularly see duty on the floor, Olfert stated that
“these guys won gold in Junior and they just want to keep competing to be the best in B.C”.
MEI now faces Langley Christian tomorrow at 7 pm at LEC for the AA PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Both teams have a history of solid volleyball so there should be a great turnout of fan support.
MEI’s Jonny Letkemann firing a ball past the single block. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)
