Guelph CVI Green Gaels keep senior volleyball title
GUELPH – The Guelph CVI Green Gaels kept a firm hold on the District 10 high school senior girls’ volleyball championship Tuesday at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre when they swept the Centennial Spartans in the final.
“It feels pretty good. They worked really hard this year so it’s nice to see them rewarded for all the hard work they’ve done,” GCVI coach Lindsay Ackroyd said.
“It feels very good,” GCVI’s MVP of the game Makayla Downey said. “We’ve all worked very hard for it and we’re all very happy.”
The Gaels took the final 25-12, 25-14, 25-14 for their fifth title in seven years. The 2021 season was lost to the pandemic that also reduced the 2022 season to a trio of days with the final games of the regular season and all of the playoffs held on a single day with the Ross Royals capturing the crown.
That this year’s final was a sweep for GCVI didn’t really surprise the Gaels.
“No, I wasn’t surprised, but I also knew nothing’s ever set in stone so we went in knowing that we would have to compete,” Ackroyd said.
“Not really,” Downey said. “I always have a lot of confidence in my team and my players. I definitely think we had that.”
In all three sets, the Gaels pulled away after the Spartans got close. GCVI led the first set 7-3, the teams were tied 8-8 in the second set and the Gaels led the third set 7-6.
“Teamwork,” Ackroyd said. “Honestly, every player played a part whether they were on the court or on the bench. It really was just gelling together and trusting each other.”
“Communication,” Downey said. “I feel like throughout the entire season we’ve been working very hard on talking to each other and just being a team and working on unity. I feel like that really showed in the end in this game here.”
GCVI swept the regular season winning all 14 of their matches while Centennial had finished second at 11-3.
Once they reached the final with an unbeaten mark, the Gaels couldn’t win the D10 title without having an undefeated season. But which of having an unblemished season or the D10 honours would be the most important for the Gaels?
“Winning District 10,” Ackroyd said. “We wouldn’t mind that one setback (during the regular season), of course, but we were full-throttle ahead. We were looking at the District 10 title.”
“Honestly, unbeaten season,” Downey said. “I think that’s something, I don’t know really, but I don’t think GCVI has ever done that before and that’s pretty cool so I think we’re all very proud of that.”
Actually, the Gaels went undefeated in the 2017-18 season.
Hadley Karabela of Centennial was the Spartans’ MVP of the final.
The Gaels advance to the CWOSSA AAA tournament Friday at RIM Park in Waterloo while the St. James Lions are to be the D10 representative in the CWOSSA AA tournament Thursday at Waterloo’s St. David Catholic Secondary School.
“I think we’ll be in the mix,” Ackroyd said. “I’m hoping we’ll be in the mix. We’ve been looking ahead to that — one step at a time but we knew that if we were successful tonight CWOSSA was next so we’ve been planning for it. I think we’ll be right in the mix.”
“I’m expecting us to bring in the same energy and just give it our all and hopefully win,” Downey said.
- Guelph Sports Journal