SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — With six gold medals around his neck, Ben MacDougall could be the Michael Phelps of P.E.I. School Athletic Association volleyball.
On Wednesday night, Ben scored the winning point securing the championship title for Three Oaks Senior High Axemen (TOSH) over the Bluefield Bobcats in PEISAA Senior Boys Volleyball league play.
Three Oaks took the match in three sets (25-19, 25-21 and 25-16). This is the fifth volleyball title in a row the boys' team has won.
The winning streak started in Grade 7 at Summerside Intermediate School (SIS).
Ben's coach, his father Dale, has also been part of the winning trifectas as TOSH and SIS respectively.
"It's fantastic. It's his sixth provincial title and I've been here for all six. To be part of it has been pretty special."
Through regular season play, TOSH lost four games. Dale attributed that to the ups and downs of not having a full roster and starters.
"The season was rough. When we had a full team, the boys played great. It was different when we weren't all there.
"But tonight (Wednesday), the boys were up for it. It's a game of energy and not many teams get the advantage of playing in front of the home crowd."
Ben agreed.
"We were going to go in and use the home-court advantage. We wanted to put it away in three sets."
While Bluefield head coach Lynn Boudreau was disappointed by the loss, she said she was pleased with how the boys played in the season and finals.
"The season was great. If someone had told me then that we would be in the championship finals, I wouldn't have believed them. We had three boys on our team who had never played before, and I was able to put two of them in tonight."
Defensively, she said, the team was great.
"We just weren't able to put the ball on the floor. We blocked well, served hard. And we had fantastic leadership."
Boudreau and the team are already looking forward to next year's season.
"I was thinking to myself, 'OK, now we just need a setter next year'. It's been amazing to see them all develop as a team and as individuals. The boys have already said they want the gold next season."
Senior AAA Boys Volleyball bronze medal match
Charlottetown Rural (W) v Colonel Gray (L)
Set 1: 25-15
Set 2: 25-23
Set 3: 20-25
Set 4: 25-20
Previous champions
2018-2019
Senior AAA Men - Three Oaks
2017-2018
Senior AAA Men - Three Oaks
2016-2017
Senior AAA Men - Three Oaks
2015-2016
Senior AAA Men - Three Oaks
2014-2015
Senior AAA Men - Charlottetown Rural
