NBIAA has re-launched the Athlete of the Month award to recognize outstanding contributions by student-athletes for their accomplishments, dedication and passion within their sport and in the classroom. One female and one male athlete will be chosen each month and highlighted on the NBIAA Website and Social Media pages.
The program will provide a platform, both in-school and online, to recognize the incredible achievements of talented high school students across the province.
Please submit your applications (form F-4) no later than the last day of each month, along a picture of each applicant by email nbiaa@gnb.ca.
Photo by Morris Prokop THE CHAMPS – F.H. Collins Warriors are the 2022 senior girls volleyball champions following their victory over the Porter Creek girls at F.H. Collins Friday.
St. Francis “sweeps” Senior Boys Volleyball Finals; F.H. claims girls’ crown
The Yukon Schools Athletic Association Senior Volleyball finals featured close competition in both matches.
The Yukon Schools Athletic Association Senior Volleyball finals featured close competition in both matches.
The finals took place at F.H.Collins in Whitehorse on Friday.
In the Senior Boys final, St. Francis of Assisi 1 swept the finals from the St. Francis 2 team in two hard-fought games by scores of 26-24 and 25-20. The first games lasted 24 minutes, while the second one was only 20 minutes long.
The Star spoke with St. Francis Senior Boys captain Sebastian Tajonera following their victory. This was the Grade 12 student’s last final with his high school teammates.
“It feels great. A bit sad that it’s the last one that I’m going to do for high school but it was amazing.”
Tajonera had mixed feelings about the result of a final that saw teammates versus teammates, saying he would have rather had all of them win a title together.
“It feels good, but kind of it’s a bittersweet ending … but I think at the end of the day, all of us are winners here. All of us get the banner and we get to take it home for our school.”
A lot of the Crusaders nearly didn’t play in this tournament.
“A lot of us got the flu after the last tournament … and one of our teammates couldn’t make it, which was really unfortunate. All of us were under the weather and were just struggling to get out of bed for this,” Tajonera related.
Considering the round-robin results, it was no surprise that both St. Francis teams ended up in the finals.
“Our first crew, which is my team, won all of their games in the round-robin,” recalled Tajonera. “And the second crew won all but one game. So it was kind of a good way to sweep the competition.”
Tajonera added “In terms of practice, we got good practice with the Filipino Canadian Volleyball Association. Thanks to them for bringing us in like family and inviting every single one of us for more touches on the ball. It got us better.”
The Star also spoke with one of the St. Francis Senior Boys coaches, Tanner Cassidy, after the boys final.
“We’re proud to have this many kids out competing at this level. Some of them put in five years of hard work. In their years they haven’t been able to necessarily finish each season because of COVID kind of shutting things down last year and they lost another season earlier to COVID, so it was nice to play a full season so they could show what they could do,” he said.
In the girls’ final, F.H. Collins also swept two close games against the Porter Creek Secondary School team, 25-15 and 25-23. Both games lasted 25 minutes.
Institut Collège Vincent Massey Collegiate (Winnipeg)
BOYS A
Treherne Collegiate
Wawanesa School
Hamiota Collegiate Institute
BOYS AA
Landmark Collegiate Institute
L’École/Collège régional Gabrielle-Roy
Rosenort School
BOYS AAA
Linden Christian School
Transcona Collegiate Institute
Garden Valley Collegiate Institute
BOYS AAAA
Steinbach Regional Secondary School
St Paul’s High School
Deloraine School
Treherne Collegiate
Major Pratt School
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Linden Christian School
Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate
Steinbach Regional Secondary School – The Provincial AAAA champion SRSS Sabres – Back Row: assistant coach Kyle Martens, Ethan Penner, Micah Bergman, Kaeden Wiebe, Nick Reimer, Lincoln Fehr, Cole Reimer, assistant coach Jason Peters & head coach Joe Thiessen Front Row: Luke Talatala, Nate Neufeld, Zane Milburn, Boston Thiessen, Hudson Rempel, Jessie Peters & “Lionel”
MHSAA 2022 Boston Pizza Volleyball Championships Awards
A Girls
A Boys
AAA Girls
Most Valuable Player
Millie Wilkinson
Julian Mann, Treherne
Mia Dasch, Westgate
Players Choice Award
Ryleigh Leece
Quinn Enns, Elm Creek
Maddie McRea, Stonewall
Tournament All-Stars
Jorja Cords
Sam Gurke, Alonsa/McCreary
Ashra Reimer, Linden Christian
Alexis McLean
Chael Rozdeba, Hamiiota
Maddie McRea, Stonewall
Brooklyn Claeys
Richard Gradwell, Wawanesa
Razan Haj Hssan, Béliveau
Natalie Maguire
Connor Martin, Wawanesa
Alexandria Haip, Béliveau
Reanna Gage
Kadyn Smart, Treherne
Julia Martens, Westgate
Surrey Smith
Benjamin Early, Treherne
Finnley Rydman, Westgate
AAA Boys
AAAA Girls
AAAA Boys
Most Valuable Player
Simeon Enns, Linden Christian
Brook Duncalfe, Sturgeon Heights
Hudson Rempel – Steinbach Regional
Players Choice Award
Keon Epp, Northlands Parkway
Ria Sagert, Sturgeon Heights
Hayden Morin, Collège Jean Sauvé
Tournament All-Stars
Keon Epp, Northlands Parkway
Megan Carpenter, Lord Selkirk
Jaxon Van Kooten, Lord Selkirk
Caleb Hildebrandt, Garden Valley
Bronwyn Holroyde, Sturgeon Heights
Boston Thiessen, Steinbach Regional
Evan Sneath, Linden Christian
Chelsea Stewner, Sturgeon Heights
Nik Reimer, Steinbach Regional
Matthew Janzen, Linden Christian
Kaiya Krahn, Vincent Massey (Winnipeg)
Jack Taylor, St. Paul’s
Carter Osiowy, Transcona
Danika Nell, Vincent Massey (Winnipeg)
Flynn Miller, St. Paul’s
Ethan Robertson, Trascona
Ella Werbiski, Vincent Massey (Brandon)
Owen Weekes, Vincent Massey (Winnipeg)
MHSAA 2022 Volleyball Participants
Girls A
Boys A
Duke of Marlborough School
Ste. Rose School
Ste. Rose School
Treherne Collegiate
Grandview School
Alonsa School/McCreary School (Co-Op)
Glenboro School
Glenboro School
Hamiota Collegiate Institute
Elm Creek School
Gilbert Plains Collegiate
Gilbert Plains Collegiate
Deloraine School
Hamiota Collegiate Institute
Mennonite Collegiate Institute
École Pointe-des- Chênes
Rivers Collegiate
Wawanesa School
Baldur High School/Cartwright School (Co-Op)
Frontier Mosakahiken School
Girls AA
Boys AA
Major Pratt School
Major Pratt School
L’École/Collège régional Gabrielle-Roy
L’École/Collège régional Gabrielle-Roy
Warren Collegiate Institute
William Morton Collegiate Institute
Hapnort Collegiate Institute
Landmark Collegiate Institute
Elton Collegiate Institute
Boissevain School
Souris School
Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute
Green Valley School
Carberry Collegiate Institute
Rosenort School
Rosenort School
Virden Collegiate Institute
Hapnort Collegiate Institute
Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute
Immanuel Christian School
Girls AAA
Boys AAA
Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute
Northlands Parkway Collegiate Institute
Collège Stonewall Collegiate
Steinbach Christian School
Westgate Mennonite Collegiate
Garden Valley Collegiate Institute
Collège Lorrette Collegiate
R.D. Parker Collegiate Institute
R.D. Parker Collegiate Institute
Transcona Collegiate Institute
Springfield Collegiate Institute
Westwood Collegiate Institute
Sanford Collegiate Institute
Linden Christian School
Linden Christian School
École secondaire Neelin High School
École secondaire Neelin High School
John Taylor Collegiate Institute
Churchill High School
Centre scolaire Léo-Rémillard Renards
Northlands Parkway Collegiate Institute
École Edward Schreyer School
Collège Béliveau
Collège Lorette Collegiate
Girls AAAA
Boys AAAA
Dakota Collegiate
Dakota Collegiate
Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School
Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School
Institut Collège Vincent Massey Collegiate (Winnipeg)
Institut Collège Vincent Massey Collegiate (Winnipeg)
Sisler High School
Collège Jeanne-Sauvé
École secondaire Oak Park High School
Steinbach Regional Secondary School
Steinbach Regional Secondary School
Collège Miles MacDonell Collegiate
Vincent Massey High School (Brandon)
Vincent Massey High School (Brandon)
River East Collegiate
River East Collegiate
Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate
École secondaire Oak Park High School
Westwood Collegiate
Collège Garden City Collegiate
Mennonite Brethren Collegiate
École secondaire Kelvin High School
Niverville High School
St Paul’s High School
Hudson Rempel, coach Joe Thiessen & Boston Thiessen of the SRSS Sabres varsity volleyball team
Sabres hang tough and win memorable AAAA championship
Written by Clayton Dreger
The Steinbach Regional Secondary School’s varsity boys volleyball team won what can only be described as one of the most memorable Provincial AAAA high school finals in recent history.
The SRSS defeated the St. Paul’s Crusaders 25-23, 25-20, 24-26, 23-25, 16-14 in a marathon back-and-forth final Monday night at the University of Manitoba’s Investors Group Athletic Centre and captured the school’s second championship banner in eight years in front of hundreds of boisterous fans who made the trip to Winnipeg.
Boston Thiessen and Nik Reimer were selected Tournament All-Stars while Hudson Rempel was named the MVP.
“We came out and played really well the first couple of sets and the third set was a battle,” said Sabres head coach Joe Thiessen. “We knew it was going to be a battle against these guys. I thought we had them on the ropes there. They took the third set and I think we had a letdown in the fourth set and the fifth set – you saw it, 16-14. It was right down to the wire.”
“Real proud of the guys,” added coach Thiessen. “Our MVP Hudson was awesome. Finally got some recognition for that guy. I’m proud of him. Boston was the court general. He always is leading the troops. He had a great match. Nik was amazing. Our libero Nate Neufeld was steady and I thought maybe the difference in the match. Real proud of the guys.”
Boston Thiessen said the team got a huge lift from their enthusiastic supporters.
“It felt like we were back in our zone final when we had all the crowd at our gym. It’s crazy what a crowd can do even if they’re not on the court playing, right. It gave us a really good boost when we were down. Especially down 13-12, we get that point, 13-13 and it’s just a huge boost for ourselves and our confidence for sure.”
Nik Reimer was a force in the final as the grade 11 outside hitter had 53 hits and recorded 11 kills from the net and the attack line. Defensively he had six blocks and looked as dominant as former USports champion Eric Loeppky did in his grade 11 year when the Sabres won their first AAAA championship banner back in 2014.
“Last year was a bit of a tough year for our JV team and moving up to varsity I thought it would be a very big challenge and it was,” Reimer noted. “I’m really proud that I was able to get a championship because I know they’re tough to come by. It’s only our second championship. I’m really proud of our guys. I think the difference was our fans. Our fans really bring the energy. Our teammates brought the energy. It was just the energy. It was really great.”
Hudson Rempel, whose leaping ability brought back memories of legendary Sabre Paul Reimer, had eight kills along with one block and an ace in his last high school game and was well deserving of his MVP honour.
His reaction to winning the award was short and sweet.
“Amazing. That’s my only word. That’s my only word for that.”
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Six provincial high school varsity volleyball champions were crowned Saturday. The Landmark 96’ers boys and Major Pratt Trojans girls captured the Provincial “AA” championships in The Pas. The 96ers defeated Gabrielle Roy Les Roy 25-23, 19-25, 15-9 while the Trojans beat the Hapnot Kopper Queens 25-19, 25-18. The Rosenort Redhawks beat Gabrielle Roy 26-24, 25-21 in the girls third place game. The Westgate Wings beat College Beliveau 25-14, 25-15 in the “AAA” girls championship game in Neepawa. The Linden Christian Wings defeated Transcona 18-25, 25-16, 18-16 in the “AAA” boys final in Steinbach. The host Steinbach Christian Flames lost to Northlands Parkway in the quarterfinals. The Deloraine Colts defeated Hamiota 14-25, 25-23, 15-11 in the “A” girls championship game in Gretna. The Treherne Tigers beat Wawanesa 19-25, 25-19, 15-13 in the “A” boys final in Elm Creek.
FALL RIVER: For many on the Lockview High girls volleyball team, the provincial championship won Saturday on home court was the culmination of four and five years of playing together.
Sine Grade 7 and 8 at Georges P. Vanier Junior High, many of the girls began playing together as a team and that continued when they moved on to Lockview High.
That familiarity appeared to be a benefit for the girls as they went 3-0 in round robin play at the School Sport Nova Scotia provincial championship, hosted by Lockview at the Fall River school and at Halifax West.
Lockview High won the gold medal in straight sets 25-21 and 25-22.
It’s the first-ever girls provincial volleyball banner for the school.
Co-captain Camryn Giddens agreed playing together since GPV days helped.
“Growing together with a lot of the girls back when we played for GPV (which was my first ever volleyball team) is really special,” Giddens told The Laker News. “It’s fascinating to compare some of us seniors from grade 7 & 8 to our current selves.”
The Dragons took the championship final over a game CEC squad—one that both Giddens and fellow co-captain Leah Weatherhead gave a tip of the hat too for pushing them to be on their A game, with Weatherhead saying there was no other team she would have wanted to play in the final but CEC.
Weatherhead said being proud of the team is an understatement.
“Every single player and coach on the team had the shared goal to win a provincial championship,” she said. “We have stayed strong through the whole season even when we took some tough losses.
“We learned and worked harder to peak when it was time. It was a phenomenal championship game.”
Giddens, a senior, said she too was extremely proud of her teammates. She feels knowing the home court like the back of their hand was an advantage—one they took advantage of.
“I think playing in our own gym had a sense of familiarity and comfort that helped us dig deep especially when the game got tough,” she said.
Weatherhead said the Dragons had to work for the win because of the hard work by CEC.
“CEC made us work and they pushed us which made it super fun to play,” she said. “I’m proud of everyone. I wouldn’t have wanted to finish the season any other way.”
Giddens and Weatherhead wanted to send a huge thank you to all the friends and parents who came out, and a special shoutout to Lockview’s Prom Committee, Lockview’s JV Girls Volleyball team, and the rest of the kind volunteers that made the weekend run so smoothly.
Halifax West won the girls provincial bronze over Park View.
In the boys volleyball provincials, Lockview High claimed the bronze medal. Team photo is below as submitted to us.
SCHOOL SPORT N.S. VOLLEYBALL: Dartmouth Spartans boys’ team hope third time is the charm
The Dartmouth Spartans boys’ volleyball team is hoping the third time is a charm as they prepare for the School Sport Nova Scotia championship.
The Spartans, who are hosting the Division 1 boys’ championship, came up a little short in a hard-fought match against West Kings last year. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic kept them from playing the championship game match.
Spartans head coach Peter Halley said his team is excited to take another shot at provincial glory after winning the Capital Region banner two weekends ago.
“The team has made the provincial final the last two seasons,” said Halley. “Two years ago the final got cancelled due to Covid and last year we were so close. I believe the boys are really focused and hungry this year.”
A provincial championship for the Spartans would end a drought that dates back to 1981.
“The boys know the history but honestly, we’ve had one focus this year,” said Halley. “We’re focused on us, on us playing well.”
And Halley knows about winning. The longtime educator captured five consecutive provincial boys’ titles as the head coach of the Sackville Kingfishers from 2006 to 2010.
But he’s not about to get nostalgic over past titles.
“It was a great run but my mind is totally focused on this year with this group.”
This year’s championship is wide open with no team dominating, said Halley.
“At provincials, you can never count anyone out. West Kings are the defending champions. Bayview are the metro champions. Lockview won the Dalhousie tournament this year. We are the regional champions. So there are a lot of teams that can play good volleyball,” said Halley.
The Spartans will host Pool A with Bay View, Cobequid, Avon View. Pool B, being held at Auburn Drive, features West Kings, Lockview, Woodlawn and Park View.
Round-robin play begins on Friday. The playoff and medal matches on Saturday are at Dartmouth High.
Division 1 Girls
Capital Region champion Lockview Dragons will host Pool B play on Friday. Joining the Dragons are Park View, Sydney Academy and J.L. Ilsley.
Halifax West will host defending provincial champion Cobequid, Riverview and Citadel in Pool A.
The championship matches will be played at Lockview on Saturday.
Division 2 Boys
Middleton, last year’s champion, Cape Breton Highlands, Pugwash and Annapolis West comprise Pool A while host South Colchester, Armbrae, Dalbrae and North Queens round out Pool B.
The action begins on Friday with the medal matches on Saturday.
Division 2 Girls
West Kings hosts the championship tournament and will compete in Pool B with Halifax Grammar, Dalbrae and Middleton. Defending champion SAERC, Clare, Par-en-Bas and Eastern Shore round out Pool A.
The action begins on Friday and the medal matches on Saturday.
