ELMSDALE – The Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars from Truro, N.S., pulled out a razor-thin victory over the Three Oaks Axemen to capture the boys’ championship of the 35th annual Westisle Wolverines Volleyball Classic on Saturday evening.
The Axemen rallied from a 12-8 deficit to tie the deciding set 12-12, but after five consecutive sideouts the Cougars finally served up a 16-14 victory.
The Cougars won the final’s opening set 25-20, but Summerside-based Three Oaks rallied from a 21-17 deficit to win 25-22 to force the winner-take-all set.
“That close,” Axemen coach Dale MacDougall commented during the medal presentations, motioning with the tips of his thumb and forefinger almost touching.
“We were just a few points away from beating these guys,” MacDougall reflected afterwards.
While acknowledging the Axemen did a good job of putting up blocks against the Cougars’ hard hitters in the championship match, he said the well-coached Nova Scotia squad is a smart team and had success tipping the ball up over the block.
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Players of the match
The Cougars’ Adam McEachern and the Axemen’s Ben MacDougall were named the final’s players of the match.
“I had been struggling a little bit throughout the rest of the tournament,” said McEachern, who’s in his final year. “It felt good to come out and play a really good game; I thought the whole team played well.”
Commenting on an observation that the Cougars played with enthusiasm, McEachern remarked, “We’re a school that likes to play with a little energy; it brings up the spirit of the game, and it only adds to the competitiveness of both teams.”
Three Oaks had only two losses in the two-day tournament, both to Cobequid.
In the quarter-finals, Cobequid defeated Colonel Gray 25-15, 25-14; Bluefield topped Charlottetown Rural 25-18, 25-14; Three Oaks won 25-18, 25-18 over host Westisle, and West Kings got by Dartmouth 20-25, 25-20, 15-10.
Cobequid got by West Kings 25-14, 25-11 in one semifinal, and Three Oaks defeated Bluefield 25-10, 25-18 in the other.
Top Performers
Wolverine Volleyball Classic boys’ all-stars:
Thomas Vickers, Cobequid
Austin Atkinson, Cobequid
Ben MacDougall, Three Oaks.
Morgan Caseley, Three Oaks.
Aidan Clark, West Kings.
Nathan Wills, Bluefield.
At A Glance
Wolverine Volleyball Classic boys’ round-robin:
Gold Pool
W L
Cobequid 4 0
Three Oaks 2 1
Dartmouth 2 2
Ch’town Rural 1 4
Montague 0 4
Results
Cobequid defeated Three Oaks 25-18, 15-25, 15-9.
Cobequid defeated Charlottetown Rural 25-13, 15-25, 16-14.
Cobequid defeated Dartmouth 25-18, 26-24.
Cobequid defeated Montague 25-18, 25-21.
Three Oaks defeated Charlottetown Rural 25-12, 25-20.
Three Oaks defeated Dartmouth 25-23, 25-19.
Three Oaks defeated Montague 25-11, 25-20.
Dartmouth defeated Charlottetown Rural 25-14, 15-25, 16-14.
Dartmouth defeated Montague 20-25, 25-22, 15-11.
Charlottetown Rural defeated Montague 25-18, 22-25, 15-11.
Blue Pool
W L
Bluefield 4 0
West Kings 3 1
Westisle 2 2
Colonel Gray 1 3
Horton 0 4
Results
Bluefield defeated Westisle 24-26, 35-20, 15-7.
Bluefield defeated Colonel Gray 25-20, 25-22.
Bluefield defeated West Kings 17-25, 25-17, 15-9.
Bluefield defeated Horton 25-16, 25-27, 15-7.
West Kings defeated Westisle 26-24, 25-12.
West Kings defeated Colonel Gray 26-28, 25-23, 15-11.
West Kings defeated Horton 16-25, 25-18, 15-13.
Westisle defeated Colonel Gray 20-25, 25-15, 15-13.
Westisle defeated Horton 23.25, 25-20, 15-7.
Colonel Gray defeated Horton 22-25, 25-22, 15-10.
