HAMPSHIRE – The Three Oaks Axemen have opened the 2018 volleyball season with a bang.
The Axemen captured top honours in a tip-off tournament featuring five of the six teams in the P.E.I. School Athletic Association Senior AAA Boys Volleyball League on Saturday. Three Oaks completed the round-robin event with a 10-2 (won-lost) record, just ahead of the Bluefield Bobcats (9-3).
“The boys were quietly consistent during much of the tournament, and I think that will serve as a confidence booster for them moving forward,” said Three Oaks athletic director Joel Arsenault, who was pinch-hitting for Axemen head coach Dale MacDougall.
The Charlottetown Rural Raiders finished third at 7-5, followed by the Westisle Wolverines (4-8) and Colonel Gray Colonels (1-11). The Montague Vikings were unable to attend.
The Axemen have hosted this tournament for the past number of years, but with the gymnasium currently undergoing renovations Bluefield stepped up to stage the one-day event.
Tournament format
Lynn Boudreau, head coach of the Bobcats, explained the tournament format included the first two sets going to 25 and no matter who won those the teams started the third tied 8-8 and played to 15.
“That was to create a little more of what it’s like when matches are tied getting into that third or fifth sets depending on if you are in tournament play,” said Boudreau, who noted it was great to see a number of Grade 10s playing in the tournament. “Most tournament matches are two out of three, and in league matches they are best of five.”
With the tournament marking the first match action for all teams, Arsenault liked what he saw from the Axemen.
“They served very well, supported each other in terms of positions and did a nice job mixing up the offence,” assessed Arsenault, who noted the Axemen return a veteran team.
“The majority of the players are returnees, with only two Grade 10 players on the roster,” added Arsenault. “They are an experienced and competitive bunch.”
Boudreau said the season-opening event provided an excellent opportunity to players to gain valuable experience.
“As a coach I made a decision that everybody played equally on Saturday,” said Boudreau. “I split the team in two and we played with two different lineups for the first two matches, and then I split them again and we played with two different lineups for the next two matches.
“It gave me, as a coach, an opportunity to see where the players strengths are, and some things we need to work on as individuals and as a team.”
[email protected]
Twitter.com/JpsportsJason
https://www.facebook.com/jason.simmonds.180