Things went pretty much according to plan for higher-ranked teams in the Moose Jaw high school boys and girls volleyball league quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
Even if things were a little close for comfort in one of the battles.
The Cornerstone Christian School Falcons went to five games before emerging with a 3-2 win over the Peacock Toilers in boys action at Cornerstone. The Falcons were the slight favourite heading into the match, having posted a 4-6 regular-season record compared to the 3-7 mark put together by the Toilers.
The other boys quarter-final saw the Central Cyclones (5-5) roll to a 3-0 win over Avonlea (0-10).
The lone girls’ first-round game saw the Vanier Spirits (3-5) take a 3-0 win against the Notre Dame Hounds (0-8).
That all sets up four semifinal games on Thursday night.
The regular-season champion Peacock Toilers (7-0) will host Vanier in their semifinal bout. Peacock won both regular-season matches between the two teams, but found themselves dropping a set in both games -- winning 25-12, 21-25, 25-17, 25-12 on Sept. 27 and 29-27, 23-25, 25-23, 25-11 in the rematch on Oct. 20.
Things can be expected to be far, far closer between the Briercrest Christian Academy Cougars (5-2) and the Central Cyclones (4-4) in Caronport.
Both meetings between the two teams went to five games, with the Cougars coming away victorious in both outings. Briercrest won 25-9, 22-25, 23-25, 25-30, 15-12 in the first meeting on Sept. 22 and followed with an equally as close victory on Oct. 18, edging the Cyclones 22-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-13.
There’s no question who the favourites will be in the boys semifinals, with Cornerstone at the Vanier Vikings (10-0) and Central travelling to face the Assiniboia Rockets (8-2).
Vanier took 3-0 wins in both meetings with Cornerstone, including a 25-13, 25-11, 25-8 victory on Sept. 13 and a 25-11, 25-14, 25-18 win on Oct. 6.
Things were plenty close in the first meeting between Central and Assiniboia, with the Rockets taking a 25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 16-14 on Oct. 4. It took Assiniboia only three games to get things done in the rematch on Oct. 25 with a 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 sweep.
The game between Cornerstone and Vanier is set for 8 p.m., while first serve in Assiniboia is 7 p.m.
The semifinal winners will advance to the city championship on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Sask Polytech.
