The play’s the thing in a pair of exciting five-set matches

Huron Park’s Shaelyn Wien gets low to make a first pass on a College Avenue serve. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Shakespeare was focused on theatrical presentation, not high school athletics.

But ‘the play’ was also a thing for the Woodstock Huron Park Huskies junior girls volleyball team on Jan. in a tense five-set match against the homecourt Woodstock College Avenue (CASS) Knights.

And while the Huskies did suffer the competitive slings and arrows associated with a 15-13 loss in the fifth and deciding set, love for the games which unfolded meant their labour had not been lost.

“They’re very enjoyable,” said Huskies libero Hannah Sirbu. “Everyone kind of forgets you’re supposed to have fun in a game.”

It admittedly is more fun to win, conceded teammate Shaelyn Wein.

“But it’s fun to lose too because good things happen in every game.”

Many good things happened for the host Knights in the first two sets, taken by scores of 25-14, 25-23. However, the Huskies made a match of it, carrying over their strong set two play into back-to-back 25-21, 25-21 victories that squared accounts at two apiece, setting up a fifth and deciding run to 15.

The same pattern would play out, Huron Park battling back from an early deficit to close within one at 9-8 and then ease ahead 11-10. Then it was the Knights’ turn to show resiliency and determination, reeling off four consecutive winners to game point at 14-11. Huron Park got back within one a long Knights’ kill attempt and a short serve which caught the front corner of the court, however, CASS was able to close out a mutually exciting encounter by the narrow 15-13 margin.

College Avenue coach George Friesen echoed earlier comments aligning with his own philosophy of gaining experience at the junior level, learning volleyball fundamentals and also importantly, players enjoying themselves.

“As long as they’re having fun and finding some success, I think it’s a good thing.”

The game also underlined how sport, compared to the structured consistency of a well-rehearsed play, has a dynamic, dramatic beauty of its own. As the fifth set unfolded, the intensity of players on each team matched the rising tension, hustling and diving for loose balls through points playing out as one-act scenes building toward the final curtain drop.

“It was a swing in momentum from game to game so you never really knew who was going to come out on top,” Friesen concluded. “That’s what makes it exciting.”

The victory, combined with a subsequent similarly exciting five-set win over Aylmer East Elgin (25-20, 19-25, 25-11, 24-26, 15-11) on Jan. 16 at home, closed out the Knights’ regular season with a 4-4 record. Their show will go on by opening AA playoffs at Ingersoll DCI (also 4-4, but with a win against College Avenue earlier in the season) on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m.

The Huskies, who closed out their regular season with a 25-14, 25-19, 25-20 road win over St. Thomas Central Elgin Jan. 16, will host a AA preliminary playoff rematch Tuesday, February 4th at 4:30. The winner of that game, and a 3 p.m. Woodstock St. Mary’s CHS Warriors road start against East Elgin will advance to AA quarter-finals two days later, playing either the top-seeded St. Thomas Parkside Stampeders (8-0) or second-ranked St. Thomas St. Joe’s Rams (6-2).

Semi-finals and the final are scheduled for Wednesday, February 12th at a location to be determined by playoff results.

Thursday, January 16

Woodstock CI 25, 25, 25; St. Joe’s 7, 17, 22

Ingersoll DCI 22, 25, 25, 25; St. Mary’s CHS 25, 20, 23, 22

College Avenue 25, 19, 25, 24, 15; Aylmer East Elgin 20, 25, 11, 26, 11

Huron Park 25, 25, 25; Central Elgin 14, 19, 20

Tuesday, January 14

Woodstock CI 25, 25, 25; St. Mary’s 16, 13, 19

College Avenue 25, 25, 21, 21, 15; Huron Park 14, 23, 25, 25, 13

Ingersoll DCI 25, 25, 25; East Elgin 23, 17, 15

TVRA South East Senior Girls Volleyball

An equally tense senior girls’ five-set battle was playing out almost simultaneously in the adjacent College Avenue gym, fortunes reversed in this match won 26-24, 28-26, 22-25, 21-25, 15-13 by the visiting Huskies.

“Crazy,” said Huron Park’s Emma MacDonald, admitting her squad may have gone in expecting an easier game than the ‘good fight’ that ensued. “They played so well, really quick for all of our hits and tips.”

The win will help in playoff seeding said MacDonald, looking forward to what hopefully is a lengthy post-season.

“Super excited.”

Huron Park closed out its regular season Jan. 16 with a second consecutive five-set victory, 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 9-15 over St. Thomas Central Elgin. The 5-3 Huskies open playoffs on the road with an AA quarter-final matchup against Tillsonburg Glendale (5-3) on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. Ingersoll DCI (5-3) hosts Central Elgin (4-4) in another AA quarter-final on the same day at the same time.

The Knights and Woodstock St. Mary’s Warriors are scheduled to play 3 p.m. AA preliminary-round games Feb. 4 against Lord Dorchester and St. Thomas St. Joe’s respectively. The winners of those contests advance to AA quarterfinals.

Semi-finals and the final are scheduled for Feb. 12 at a location still to be determined.

The 8-0 Woodstock CI Red Devils received a bye into the A final Wednesday, February 12, where they will face the winner of a Wednesday, February 5 at 3:30 p.m. semi-final between St. Thomas Arthur Voaden and Woodstock E.S. Notre Dame, which will host the match.

Tuesday, January 21

St. Thomas Parkside 20, 25, 21, 25, 15; E.S. Notre Dame 25, 11, 25, 9, 5

Thursday, January 16

Woodstock CI 25, 27, 25; St. Thomas St. Joe’s 10, 25, 15

Aylmer East Elgin 25, 25, 25; College Avenue 21, 17, 15

Huron Park 22, 25, 25, 22, 15; Central Elgin 25, 20, 19, 25, 9

Ingersoll DCI 25, 25, 25; St. Mary’s 13, 7, 10

Wednesday, January 15

Woodstock CI 25, 25, 25; E.S. Notre Dame 13, 10, 11

Tuesday, January 14

Huron Park 26, 28, 22, 21, 15; College Avenue 24, 26, 25, 25, 13

Woodstock CI 25, 25, 25; St. Mary’s 12, 11, 19

Aylmer East Elgin 23, 25, 25, 23, 15; Ingersoll DCI 25, 17, 21, 25, 12