What is shaping up as a very good year for the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior boys volleyball team has begun with a tournament victory in Weyburn last weekend.
The Elecs have a senior-heavy roster this year and they used that to win all but one set at the tournament. Head coach Nathan Johnson said they have only player who isn’t a senior, and they only practised Tuesday and Wednesday before jumping into the tournament action.
“That went very well for us,” Johnson said. “At the same time it confirmed where we were at with our team this year.”
The success this season started last season when they had no Grade 12s, through to this season where roster depth means virtually everyone plays every game.
“That’s a great way to operate our team with everyone contributing to the wins like that,” Johnson said.
The team has been helped greatly by Jack McGeough, ECS’s 6’10” middle who has Team Saskatchewan volleyball experience from the summer.
“He’s a very dominant high school player,” Johnson said. “Kayden Ludwig played power for us on the weekend and Justin Van Achte was the right side and those guys are very effective for us offensively. Hunter Perkins was our setter and has been for a couple of years and he’s improved a ton.”
Another big bonus for the team is having the players like Perkins improve at the club volleyball level in the spring.
This success helps even those backup players come in and have a big impact.
“We were beating teams by big scores and everybody was playing really well for us,” Johnson said. “It made it really, really fun.”
In the eight-team round robin tournament, the Elecs beat the Weyburn juniors and seniors, the Elecs junior boys team, Rouleau, Oxbow, Carnduff and Moose Jaw Central. It was Rouleau they beat in the final.
Provincials this year for 5A senior boys will be at Prince Albert St. Mary Nov. 16-17, with three teams in the south region making it out.
“I’ve been telling people we’re a top five 5A team in the province,” Johnson said. “There are some strong 5A teams this year, two of the others being in the south.”
Swift Current, Balgonie, Yorkton and Weyburn will be the battling it out with the Elecs for those three spots at regionals.
Other teams in 5A are going to be very strong this year and they’ll likely cross paths with the Elecs in tournaments this year with great competition.
“In Regina, LeBoldus and Campbell are strong teams and then in the north, P.A. St Mary is very good,” he said. “Meadow Lake is very strong this year as well. Then we have to throw Saskatoon Holy Cross and Aden Bowman in the conversation as well.”
The Elecs host their own tournament Oct. 12-13 where they’ll battle some of the rural teams in the area. They’re off to a tournament in Regina this weekend.
