NPSS Grizzlies Update: Volleyball teams compete in Peace River, Prince George

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) Grizzlies senior volleyball teams competed in Peace River last weekend, while the junior volleyball teams travelled to Prince George to compete in zones. 

The senior girls team competed in a power pool with teams from Grande Prairie Composite High School, Sexsmith Secondary School, and Peace River High School. 

After winning one out of three matches on Friday, the girls placed fourth in their pool. 

Friday’s results fuelled the fire for the senior girls, who won the first two matches on Saturday, securing a spot in semi-finals against Grande Prairie. 

The girls persevered through a tight match, winning their way into the finals, defeating Sexsmith and placing first overall. 

Player of the Weekend was awarded to Addison Clement for displaying consistency, strong serving, and well-timed, momentous plays throughout the tournament. 

The senior boys team’s goal for the tournament was to focus on each point and task rather than thinking about the outcome. Doing so allowed them to come together as a team and compete.

The boys lost their first match, but won the next two, and placed third overall, winning five out of seven matches in the tournament. 

Senior boys coach Mackenzie Uskiw says the team demonstrated a “quality level play with moments of exceptional effort and skill from each athlete.” 

“Whether it was an athlete going in for a specialized task like a serving sub or defensive specialist, everyone committed to their role this weekend and showed tremendous athleticism and determination in doing their best,” said Uskiw.

Donovan Snyder was named Player of the Weekend for stopping many of the opposing teams from getting points, and being a dynamic presence up front. Mark Galop received Player of the Weekend recognition as well, for his consistent defense and communication with his team. 

The junior boys and girls volleyball teams travelled to Prince George to compete in the North Central Zone Championships last weekend. 

The junior girls played well, sharing some of their best game moments of the season, but a challenging matchup against College Heights Secondary School in semi-finals landed them in fourth place overall at zones. 

Sylvie Myllymaki earned Player of the Weekend status for remaining energetic and dialed-in throughout the weekend. 

The junior boys competed in a lot of tight matches and went to three sets. Though they didn’t have the success they had hoped for over the weekend, they found control in their defensive play in the back row, which led to big strides forward. 

The junior boys placed seventh overall at zones. 

Up next for the Grizzlies, NPSS will host the senior volleyball zones, featuring teams from Williams Lake, Quesnel, and Prince George, from November 17th to 18th. 

Both teams hope to place first at zones, which will give them a shot at provincials in southern B.C. 

The tournament begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, and a full schedule of games can be found on the NPSS Grizzlies Instagram page. 

Later this month, the senior boys soccer team will travel to Burnaby to compete in provincials from November 22nd to 25th.