It’s been so far, so good for the Vanier Vikings and Assiniboia Rockets in Moose Jaw High School Athletic Association senior boys volleyball action, and now the two teams are headed for an early-season showdown this coming Tuesday night.
The Vikings -- winners of two of the last three 4A boys volleyball provincial championships -- improved to 3-0 on the season with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-17) victory over Avonlea on Thursday night.
Assiniboia -- who took the court at the 3A boys provincial championships last fall -- also won their third straight to open the campaign with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22) victory at Peacock.
That sets the stage for the first meeting of the season between the two clubs when the Rockets take on the Vikings on Tuesday night at Vanier. First serve is 7 p.m.
In other boys league action, the 2021 MJHSAA league finalist Cornerstone Christian School Falcons picked up their first win of the season, but it was anything but easy. Cornerstone would need all five sets to get past the reigning 4A boys provincial bronze medalist Central Cyclones before taking a 22-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 15-13 victory in the closest match of the season thus far. Both teams now have 1-2 records.
The Briercrest Christian Academy Cougars also picked up their first win in girls league play, and it also came out of an epic five-set battle with Central. BCA won the first set 25-9 but found themselves on the ropes after losing 25-22, 25-23 the next two sets. Things were just as close in the deciding games, with the Cougars winning 25-20 and 15-12.
BCA is now 1-1 on the season, Central fell to 1-2.
Things weren’t quite as close between the Vanier Spirits and Notre Dame Hounds, with the Spirits improving to 2-1 with a 3-1 (24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22) victory. Notre Dame dropped to 0-2.
As luck would have it, that also sets up a first-place showdown in girls league play on Tuesday, with Vanier facing the Peacock Toilers (2-0) at Peacock at 8 p.m. The other girls' contest sees Notre Dame at Briercrest Christian, also at 8 p.m.
The other boys league games feature Cornerstone at Peacock at 6:20 p.m. and Avonlea at Central at 7 p.m.
