SDSS senior boys volleyball team takes tournament silver
By: Spencer Seymour
The Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) senior boys volleyball team kicked off their season with a silver medal at a tournament held at Fanshawe College in London Sept. 19-20.
Coach Bear Gough told the Times the tournament was a fantastic way to begin their volleyball season.
“I couldn't have been happier,” said Gough. “A lot of younger players got to really step up and play some big games, and it was just a great way to start the year. The camaraderie they showed was great. They were playing for each other. They were playing for the guy next to them. They were playing for their school and for their family that came to watch, and they just played with a lot of pride and a lot of energy.”
SDSS was playing many of its most important games of the tournament with only seven players available, including several rookies. Juniors Evan Abercrombie, Evan Ehnes and Nate Meadows debuted with excellent performances en route to silver. MJ White set the tone for the team with strong defence, communication and energy. Setters Davis Longston and Yug Patel led the team on and off the court. Opponents had few answers for outside hitters Brody Sinclair and Jordan Diep, who were each named tournament all-stars.
In the quarter-final against London Saunders, SDSS picked up the win in three sets, falling in the first set narrowly by a score of 27-25, before winning the second set 25-23. In the third and deciding set, Stratford’s senior boys won 15-11.
Gough said the matchup was a good measuring stick test for the SDSS squad.
“London Saunders is going to be one of the top teams in WOSSAA, so we know we’ll be seeing lots of them. I would say that our team just refused to be rattled. At that point, we were down to seven players and a lot of starters, but our guys just weren't afraid to step up to the challenge. No matter what happened in the match, things went back and forth. It was two great teams, and both were playing really well, and there were a ton of lead changes, and our guys just kept with it, kept their trust and belief in each other the entire time, and I think that's why we were able to pull out the victory.”
The win set them up to play London Christian High in the semis, and once again, the boys from SDSS were fantastic, winning in straight sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-22.
“I said to the team before that match, ‘We're on a wave right now and we've just got to ride it,’” Gough recounted. “They were playing just really tight volleyball, and really scrappy defence. We weren't making mistakes. We were picking every ball up. The boys were just really hard to play against.”
Although they came up short in the gold medal game, Gough still said the tournament result puts the group in a great position moving forward.
“It's great because it means that we can really hit the ground running,” said Gough. “I think, just in practice (Sept. 21), I saw a group with a lot of confidence, and I think we showed not only the region what we can do and what we're capable of, but we also proved it to ourselves so the guys know what they can do. They believe in each other, and it was just a great way to start the season with such a reaffirming performance.”
Gough also relayed a statement made by Diep during the team’s Sept. 21 practice, which succinctly encapsulated the team’s scrappy and tenacious attitude.
"If this is what seven of us can do,” Diep said about the silver medal, “imagine what our whole team can accomplish."
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