The Bashaw Rebels chased off the Forestburg Falcons as the senior volleyball teams swept both matches on Oct. 15.
It was a relatively quick 25-20, 25-13 victory for the girls, followed by the boys earning a 25-18, 25-20 win.
Jesse Viske, Rebels boys head coach, saw several highlights in their match, but added the team doesn’t rely on just one marquee player to get things done.
“Korbyn Hewlett stepped up huge with some big hits and blocks in the middle, and Drew Hillis came out swinging,” he said.
“I was pleased all around with our performance, but these were my two athletes that stuck out this game.
Viske has been impressed with his crew this season after having some initial uncertainty in replacing the six graduating players from last season.
“We started off with some doubts, but these boys were quick to put those to rest, performing well right out of the gate,” he said.
The club made the quarter finals at the Augustana tournament then improved some to make the semi-finals in Wetaskiwin and improved further by getting in the final in Bow Island.
“Bow Island was the highlight of our year, as we showed our highest potential on the court in defeating last year’s provincial champions,” Viske noted.
“These boys really cover the court on all ends. They refuse to let a ball drop and keep each other accountable.
“We build our defence on the principle of trust. You need to trust that the other five players on the court know their role and are where they need to be.”
And their success starts with the team’s service reception, an aspect Viske believes is the best part of their game right now.
“It has been great this year and creates our opportunities for options on our attack,” he said.
“Although, as a team, we need to continue to grow and push to the end of the season. This is the time where athletes can lag as they have been at it for two months now. We will push ourselves to not only master what we are currently doing, but improve by adding more options on attack and reading defensive scenarios.”
Meanwhile, according to Rebels girls head coach Don Seale, the team is becoming better as a team.
“Our offence is formidable, our serve receive is consistent and our overall defence is sound,” he stated.
“However, there is work still to do if we are to utilize our full firepower. We have combination plays to perfect, improvements to be more consistent on our serve and need to further develop our right side hitting ability.”
Seale was also impressed with how his bench players played.
Net shots — Both clubs will be playing in the annual Forestburg tournament this month, one the Rebels boys will be looking to win for the third straight time. That will be followed on Oct. 29 with the Rebels final home match against New Norway.
Then, the boys will tune up for a run at provincials with their home tournament on Nov. 1 and 2 with rival Bawlf and St. Augustine from Ponoka just two of the opposing teams attending.
