St. Clair Saints vying for volleyball crown
Host of OCAA women’s volleyball championships look for podium finish
The St. Clair Saints wanted to earn their spot in the OCAA women’s volleyball championship.
As the host squad for this year’s tournament, which begins on Friday at the SportsPlex, the Saints had an automatic berth in the event. But the players wanted to be among the top eight teams in the conference.
“I didn’t want people to think we were in it just because we’re hosting it, but we finished third (in the West Division) and that proves we can beat people,” Saints outside hitter Kaila Crough said Wednesday.
Ranked sixth in the OCAA, the Saints will play a crossover game in the quarter-finals against Algonquin College from Sault Ste. Marie, which finished second in the East Division. Game time at the SportsPlex is 8 p.m.
“We match up OK against Algonquin,” Saints head coach Jimmy ElTurk said. “They’re really big and we’re a smaller, more ball control type of team. It just depends on who can impose their will.”
The OCAA tournament champion will advance to the national championship in British Columbia.
That might be a tall order for the Saints, but a win on Friday will put the team in the medal round and St. Clair has not earned a medal at this event since 1994-95.
“I think winning Friday is our goal,” El-Turk said. “It’s been our seasonal goal from the start. I think we’ve set ourselves up nicely to do that.”
After a 7-2 start to the season, the Saints struggled down the stretch with at 5-4.
“When we actually play like a unit, like we did at the beginning of the year, we have a lot of opportunities,” said the 20-year-old Crough, who is a St. Anne high school product. “We had some people move around on the team, and the chemistry went down a little, but now it’s growing again.”
A third-year player, the 5-foot-11 Crough is hoping her teammates
savour the chance to play in the tournament at home.
“Every time, the last few years, we’ve been to the playoffs and lost and not been able to go to OCAAs,” Crough said. “I hope they enjoy the opportunity because I don’t know if we’ll be able to (host) again.”
With eight players on the team in their first season of play, El-Turk believes there are plenty of advantages to the Saints being at home.
“For us to be able to play on our home court, have the advantage, especially serving and passing, that makes a really big difference,” El-Turk said.
With a smaller lineup, El-Turk said the play of Crough and fellow outside hitter Angela Evans will be key along with the performance of freshmen setters Kimberly Quintanilla and Madison Trotter.
“We need to take control of our side. Make less mistakes and handle the ball,” Crough said.
When we actually play like a unit, like we did at the beginning of the year, we have a lot of opportunities.