By Bob Carter
Powered by all-star Kaden Gamache and versatile tournament MVP Colton Loewen, MEI pushed past Langley Fundamental 3-0 Saturday night to repeat as AA champion.
The Eagles made a statement in the opening set, winning 25-13.
“It was about as clean a set as we’ve played this year,” MEI coach Jordan Geransky said.
Fundamental, which played extremely well in beating Pacific Academy in the semifinals, seemingly had control of the second set as all-star Phil Stahl sparked a 19-15 lead. But MEI snapped back.
Gamache hammered a kill, Loewen rapped a hard serve into an over-bump that Cade Smith put away, and two points later, Carson Bargen’s block gave the Eagles the lead.
With the score 24-24, consecutive kills by Loewen won the set for MEI.
In the third set, the Eagles used a 4-0 closing run to end the Titans’ upset hopes and take their 10th all-time title.
Josh Fefchuk makes a great effort to save a ball.
MEI had only three returnees from last year’s powerhouse — Gamache, Jared Reid and Josh Fefchak — but the trio was instrumental in the team’s success.
“Those three were so important,” Geransky said. “It’s a key to bring that experience to a very young core.”
Incredibly, the trio won four BC titles in their four high school seasons (two junior championships, two senior) and lost only three matches during that span.
That’s a standard of success that few schools can duplicate.
