The fact they won a provincial banner should not have come as a surprise to the Langley Christian Lightning.
Yet there they were, in a little state of disbelief.
The Lightning senior boys volleyball team had just dispatched their Fraser Valley rivals, the Abbotsford Christian Knights 3-0 in the gold-medal game of the BC boys AA volleyball championships on Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.
The Lightning were the top seed heading into the championships and the defending gold medallists as well.
But this team B次元官网网址� especially the core of its eight Grade 12s B次元官网网址� knows how to win, having also won gold at the junior boys level two years ago.
B次元官网网址淯nreal. To win three in a row, for my grade personally, is just really cool,B次元官网网址� admitted Matthias Dahl, who was named the tournamentB次元官网网址檚 top libero. B次元官网网址淚t is surreal and hasnB次元官网网址檛 really sunk in yet.B次元官网网址�
The Lightning won the first two sets relatively easily, 25-17 and 25-15.
The third set was back-and-forth but Langley Christian prevailed 25-22.
And the AA champs the
B次元官网网址� Gary Ahuja (@garyahuja1)
It capped off a perfect four days for the team.
Langley Christian was 3-0 to win their pool on Wednesday and then they beat Smithers and MEI on Thursday, in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, respectively.
The Lightning would then take down Duchess Park 3-1 in the semifinals.
B次元官网网址淭his is the best match we played in the entire tournament,B次元官网网址� said LCS coach Carol Hofer. B次元官网网址淲e worked so hard B次元官网网址� no games have been easy (and) we just got better each match.B次元官网网址�
Prior to SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 final, Hofer said her message was simple.
B次元官网网址淲e talked a lot about belief and what we believed about this team,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 just told them I believed we could be champions today and we just needed to get out there and to the work to do it.B次元官网网址�
This was the fifth time in six tries the Lightning beat the Knights.
But the Knights featured seven Grade 11s of their dozen players.
Abbotsford Christian went 1-2 in pool play and then beat Sa-Hali in the round of 16 and Prince Charles in the quarter-finals. They then knocked off College Heights in the semifinals to set up one more showdown with their Fraser Valley rivals.
B次元官网网址淭hat was our goal, to make provincials and then make finals at provincials,B次元官网网址� said coach Anthony Janzen.
B次元官网网址淪econd place is well deserved for my team (and) winning teaches you for next year.B次元官网网址�
The Knights came out tentative in the first two sets.
B次元官网网址淭he first two sets, they were scared and nervous,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he last set, they showed a bit of character, fighting back.B次元官网网址�
But in the end, the Lighting B次元官网网址� and especially most valuable player Brodie Hofer B次元官网网址� were too much.
Hofer, who was forced to start the season on the bench as he recovered from a pair of broken toes, was more concerned about the banners then he was with his individual accolades.
B次元官网网址�(Those awards are) nice but having three banners with guys I have been going to school with every day, that I see all the time and are my best friends, coming home with those, tops my MVP awards,B次元官网网址� said the graduating senior who will play at the LEC as part of the Trinity Western Spartans volleyball team.
He also said the team was able to feed off the crowd at the LEC.
The fans cheering on their team
B次元官网网址� Gary Ahuja (@garyahuja1)
The players know the had something special with this Lightning group.
B次元官网网址淚 was thinking about this afternoon B次元官网网址� I am excited but I am also a little bit sad,B次元官网网址� Dahl said. B次元官网网址淎fter tonight, itB次元官网网址檚 over.
B次元官网网址淏ut this is the cherry on top, there is no better way to end it.B次元官网网址�
In addition to Hofer and DahlB次元官网网址檚 awards, Caleb Schnitzer was a first team all-star and Caleb Kastelein was a second team selection.
Abby ChristianB次元官网网址檚 Cameron Vanderveen and Cole Brandsma were also first team all-stars.
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