There is something about playing on their home court that brings out the best in the Parkland Vipers volleyball players.
The 15U Vipers became the program’s third team to win its home tournament, this past weekend.
Parkland finished second in its pool after round-robin play, opening with a 26-24, 7-25 and 8-15 loss to the Westman Wave.
The Vipers rebounded with a 25-8 and 25-20 win over CW Smash, followed by a 26-27, 25-20 and 15-11 win over Vision Elite Blue.
Parkland opened the playoffs with a 25-15 and 25-17 win over the Kenora Lakers in the quarterfinals and advanced to the championship match with a 23-25, 25-21 and 15-12 win over the CW Rage.
The final was a battle of the Parkland with the Vipers coming out on top over the Predators, 25-22, 20-25 and 16-14.
Vipers coach Nicole Yarema said the team played well throughout the tournament.
“It feels like things are finally coming together. This was their last tournament before provincials and it feels really good to end things on such a positive note,” she said.
The team has been consistently improving with every tournament they’ve played since the start of the season, Yarema said.
“This tournament especially, they were playing like a team. They were playing strategically. You could see the things that they’ve been learning in practice. It was really, really good for everyone,” she added.
Yarema hopes the team can carry the momentum from this tournament win into provincials, May 6 and 7, in Winnipeg.
“Our ranking is pretty low, so our goal is to come out in the top half,” she said.
Winning their home tournament is a special moment, Yarema said.
“As a coach, it’s definitely one of those moments that makes you super proud. All the girls worked really hard and they definitely deserved the win,” she said.
As for provincials, the expectation is to keep playing they way they have in recent tournaments.
“They’ve definitely shown me that they have got it in them to win. The team that we beat in the final, the Predators, are ranked quite a bit higher than us, so I’m hoping that they can really show everything that they’ve learned,” Yarema said.
