In the end, it was a pretty good trade-off for the Lockerby Vikings senior girls volleyball team.
After falling to the Confederation Chargers in three sets in the city final one week earlier, the Vikes dusted themselves off in time for NOSSA and booked their ticket to OFSAA thanks to a dominant weekend at home.
Lockerby overpowered the Superior Heights Steelhawks 25-10, 25-15, 25-15 in the NOSSA "AA" gold medal affair, and have been seeded 11th in a field of 20 teams competing, beginning on Monday, in Belleville.
This marks a return trip to provincials for the Vikings, who did not hit the win column while competing at the "AAA" playdowns last March in North Bay. Still, with eight players drawing on the experience of 2016, Lockerby will target a berth in the championship side of the draw come Tuesday afternoon.
The Vikings open play on Monday with outings against the St Mary's Crusaders from Hamilton (#6) and the Streetsville Tigers from Mississauga (#20). Tuesday is also a two game day, as the locals face the top-seeded Riverside Rebels from Windsor and the Fort Frances Muskies (#16).
The 2016-2017 edition of the Lockerby senior girls volleyball team consists of Brooke Smith, Becca Hopkins, Sydney Coles, Harmony Martel, Alexanne Coulombe, Lexi Johnson, Kayla Murray, Taylor Wilkinson, Mikaela Richter, Jaclyn Groom, Kayley Hancharyk and coaches Stephen Beausoleil and Johnathan Hoadley.
The city champion Confederation Chargers were ousted in the NOSSA "A" final, going three sets with the very talented Franco-Cité Patriotes before being eliminated. The Sturgeon Falls school had also knocked off the Chargers in round robin play, also in three sets.
