Abby Christian finds a way and wins AA Bronze!

Posted on Nov 30, 2019

LANGLEY-

Abby Christian’s #10 Zachary Meinen setting during the AA Bronze match.

The AA Bronze match showcased Abbotsford Christian (ranked 3) vs George Elliot (ranked 4) – a retake on last year’s Provincial final. George Elliot came into this match after, what they might call, a let down performance against Langley Christian the night before- where the team made a number of unforced errors. GESS head coach Chris Frehlick,

“We didn’t deserve to be in the final based on the way we played yesterday.”

Abby Christian also had higher aspiration hopes in their tournament finish as they had played well against MEI in some of their early season meetings. However, it was not to be.

George Elliot and coach Frehlick discuss options during a timeout.

So the two volleyball teams found themselves playing in a bronze game- and perhaps- for those who have participated in one- the bronze game can be a tough match to be excited for. Both teams wishing they were in the gold match rather than their current situation. There is still a medal on the line- it still means something- it just takes time to process a loss less than 24 hours later.

During the match itself- it looks like the teams are trying to be excited – it is just tough to get the energy up. Coaches are trying to get them going, players are trying to get going. There is an exchange of good plays but nobody is getting too pumped up.

Josh Aperloo (13) hitting against the George Elliot block. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)

George Elliot just seemed to run out of gas in the fifth set and Abby Christian finishes with a 15-6 win.  Congrats to both teams for solid seasons.

Coach Anthony Janzen on the win,

“we went through a bunch of emotions tonight….I think we maintained our game longer than they (George Elliot) did.”

Anthony Janzen during a timeout in the Bronze Match.

Abbotsford Christian AA Bronze 2019. (Vancouver SPorts Pictures)

Langley Christian Plays Great in the Semi-Final and Headed to the AA Final.

Posted on Nov 29, 2019

LANGLEY- By DEAN WEISS

Langley Christian putting up a block in Semi Final Action against George Elliot’s Roan McGowan. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)

Langley Christian vs George Elliot – 3pm AA SEMI-FINAL

Right off the bat in this match it was evident that Langley Christian was going to very tough to beat.  From the onset, Langley Christian served hard and difficult spots on the court and George Elliot seems to have trouble handling and adjusting to it. George Elliot had some unforced errors early but settled down and made it a game after being down 20-11 to come back to 20-18. However, a number of late GESS unforced errors in the set was too deep and Langley pulled away after a couple of late missed GESS serves to take it 25-20.

Set two started off with LCS’s power Van Huizen serving an ace near the back line. Despite the solid LCS serving, George Elliot is battling tough and blocking well- but again-  Langley Christian got a couple more tough serves from Van Huizen mid match. Langley Christian kept serving tough and George Elliot tries to keep it close but can’t seem to find the answer to Langley Christian tonight. Langley wins set two 25-22. Langley’s setter Tyson Hofer looked solid as he is finding a way to get his players the ball where they can do something with it. Tyson Hofer on his take on the match,

Tyson Hofer, LCS setter

“I thought we played a great game and I thought we served tough throughout and sided out well. We wanted to spread the floor and then try to get Jonas and Nick open looks.”

Set 3 – Well did Hofer ever spread the offense out in the third set – as both sides started crushing balls. Every time George Elliot finds even a little bit of momentum with a great hit, Langley Christian has an answer with some dynamic offensive hitting. Both teams settle down and start to entertain with some great volleyball and some terrific plays. Unfortunate for GESS, the Langley Christian bus is moving too fast and running on all cylinders and George Elliot could not slow them down. Langley wins the set 25-21 and the match 3-0.

Final thoughts from LCS Coach Brynden MacTavish after the match,

“We won tonight on the backs of Jonas and Tyson’s serving. Those guys served lights out!”

Serving truly seemed to be the difference between these two very strong hitting teams tonight. Langley Christian will now advance and face MEI in the AA FINAL @ 7pm on Saturday Night!

LCS’s Jonas Van Huizen serving tough during the AA Semi-FInal. (Vancouver Sports Pictures)

Knights blow past Elliot for AA Title

Posted on Dec 1, 2018

By Bob Carter

Abby Christian – the moment they win AA GOLD! Photo by VancouverSportsPictures.

High school sports can take strange and winding turns, full of bumps and bruises. Sometimes the changes lead to howling success — witness Abby Christian’s side in the Kahunaverse Sports BC Volleyball Championships.
The Knights, AA silver medalists a year ago, rallied past a highly skilled George Elliot team in four sets Saturday to win the AA title.

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Three days earlier when the event began, they looked tentative, almost lost, as they struggled to win their first two pool matches, following a rocky ride in their zone playoffs two weeks earlier.
And then it happened. In the third pool match, against Surrey Christian, they started to look like the team that had played so well for much of the season and won more convincingly.

“They started to play with energy and purpose,” coach Anthony Jansen said.

“The first day we struggled,” star outside hitter Cole Brandsma said. “A lot of guys realized it was our last chance to bring it, and each day after that we kept peaking.”

One high came Friday when ACS ground past two-time defending champ Langley Christian, losing the first set before winning three straight.
On Saturday, the Knights again lost the first set (28-26) before finding their way.
They squeezed out the second, 25-23, then faltered early in the third when the Coyotes, who had performed superbly in beating College Heights on Friday, seemed to re-set. Trailing 8-2, ACS called timeout, and Jansen’s message was succinct:

“It’s not our day to stop playing.”

The Knights ran off five points, but the Coyotes scored four. Elliot still led 15-12 when Brandsma, who hadn’t quite found his rhythm, took command. The 6-6 UBC recruit had four kills and a big block of Coyote standout Roan McCarthy, and suddenly ACS was up by four on its way to a 25-21 set win.
Brandsma and Conner Piers had blocks early in the fourth, and a 7-0 run provided a 13-4 lead, all but tucking the title away.
Coming into the match, Jansen wanted his team to enjoy the experience, show some grit and not be overwhelmed.
Brandsma and his teammates certainly enjoyed the turnaround.

Abby Christian – the 2nd moment they win AA GOLD! Photo by VancouverSportsPictures.

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Elliot, ACS advance to AA finals

Posted on Nov 30, 2018

By Bob Carter

George Elliot wins game 5 17-15 to advance to AA final. Photo by Paul Yates.

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George Elliot and Abby Christian will meet for the AA title Saturday at the Kahunaverse Sports BC Volleyball Championships.
Both survived critical moments in Friday’s semifinals.
ACS rallied to defeat Fraser Valley rival Langley Christian in four sets after nearly being down 2-0, ending the dream of a third consecutive title for the Lightning.
Elliott, a team ranked No. 1 most of the season, beat College Heights in five sets (17-15). It was the Coyotes’ fifth victory over CH this year in five meetings.

“I’m so happy for the players,” GESS coach Chris Frehlick said, adding that “it has been a long time since George Elliot has been in the finals.”

After controlling the play in taking the first two sets, 22 and 16, the Coyotes dropped the next two sets, 26-24 and 25-23. They fell behind 8-6 in the fifth, tied it at 11 on a Roan McCarthy kill, then trailed 14-13 on a big hit by the Cougars’ Matt Shand.
One point from defeat, Frehlick called a timeout and later remembered telling his team two things: “Pass the ball and be aggressive.”
The Coyotes won four of the next five points for the victory.
GESS has gone 2-0 this season against Abby Christian, which had been struggling to find its form the last few weeks.
The Knights entered the BCs as the sixth seed after losing two late matches in league play and two more in the zone playoffs.
They lost the first set to LCS 25-23 and blew a four-point late in the second, falling behind by a point with the Lightning serving for the set. The Knights then won three straight points to even the match 27-25 and took the next two sets 25-17, 25-20.
Pulling out the second set was huge, said Knights coach Anthony Jansen.

“That win instilled all the confidence the boys needed,” he said. “It was a great team effort.”

Standout Cole Brandsma, a 6-6 power, played extremely well, but the play of 5-11 Zach Meinen turned out to be critical.
“He contributed more than in any other game,” Jansen said. “He made a big difference, giving us another left side. He took some of the pressure off Cole, who had one of his best games.”
The pressure seemed to lessen Friday for the whole team, which didn’t play well in winning its first two pool games two days earlier.

“Every day we’ve been gaining confidence,” Jansen said. “It looks like we’re peaking at the right time.”

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Abby Christian finishes the upset and defeats Langley Christian in 4 sets.

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Game NOTES from ACS vs LCS:

Game 1: Both teams are hitting the cover off of the ball. This is terrific volleyball.  Langley Christian finishes with a thunderous hit from Kastelein on the left side to win 25-23.

Game 2: Abby Christian’s #10 tooling and has at least three kills. Abby Christian is up 19-15 when LCS calls timeout.  LCS calls timeout down 18-22. LCS battles back to 23-23 as ACS calls a timeout. Abby Christian battles 27-25

Game 3: ACS has 9-2 early lead. Has control from the outset and takes game 25-17.

Game 4; The battle continues with great saves by both sides. ACS up 12-9. Cole his a ball straight down the line for 14-11 lead. ACS up 21-16 with great defense – LCS calls timeout. ACS #10 playing out of this planet. ACS WINS 25-20!!!! FINALS BOUND.

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Game NOTES from GESS vs CH:

Game 1: George Elliot has commanding 19-14 lead- College Heights battled back to 20-21. George Elliot finishes strong to take the set.

Game 2: Shand is scoring at will early. College Heights called for a number of 2 touch calls in the middle.  George Elliot takes control of the middle and takes the game 25-16.

Game 3: College Heights can’t solve George Elliot. GESS #5 is on fire early. College Heights fights back to take a lead 12-11 before GESS calls timeout. Down at 19-20 College Heights calls timeout. 23-23. Off of a fast set to the outside- a quick swing -fans and misses to create a 23-24 deficit for GESS. GESS calls timeout. Medical timeout for #5 creates a long break between serves. CH misses serve. 24-24. #10 CH kill down the line 25-24. CH wins 26-24.

College Heights ties up the match at 2-2 and celebrates.

Game 4: Down 3-6 CH calls timeout. Both teams battling and hitting hard with great digs. 14-14. A couple of CH errors down 14-17. #6 CH scores against triple block down still down 16-18. CH 12 serving – 19-18 after CH 6 recycles ball then pounds the next one down. Timeout GESS. GESS #11 now in front row. CH 22-20 CH #6 serving – into net. CH timeout up 22-21. Fans are going crazy. CH #10 with two kills near the end to take 24-22 lead.  GESS #11 hits down the line off the block 23-24. #12 CH kill out of the middle for 25-23 win.

Game 5: 1-0 GESS #5 combo kill to start 1-0. GESS #15 hard kill 2-1. tied 3-3. GESS #11 tool kill 4-3. CH #10 great kill 4-4. CH #12 off a party ball straight down 5-5. CH #6 hard kill down the line 6-6. CH # 6 party ball kill 7-6. CH #6 kill deep cross – CH up 8-6 at the turn. Timeout GESS down 6-8. tied 8-8 two errors. CH #6 right side kill. Dribble drop kill CH 10-8. GESS right side kill 9-10. #15 GESS short serve -block 10-10. CH #10 Kill left side 11-10. GESS #11 great deep kill 11-11 : CH calls timeout. GESS in the middle tip falls to the ground 12-12. CH #10 rocket kill 13-12. GESS crazy dig and GESS #11 D ball kill down the right line. 13-13 CH calls timeout. GESS #8 serving – Great rally CH#6 kill to gap in 6 and 1 CH 14-13. CH #6 -out 14-14. GESS #5 party ball kill 15-14. CH #6 tool kill 15-15. CH #6 high out. 17-15 setter called for 2 touch.

BC Boys Volleyball top 20 and sweet 16 for AAA, AA, A

Posted on Nov 14, 2018

Last week of rankings heading into Zone Playoffs prior to BC Championships.

We are getting close to the Kahunaverse Provincial Championships again. 2017 AAA CHAMPS SEMI hoist the Championship trophy. Photo by Paul Yates.