A Barnacle Perspective: Senior Boys Volleyball & Volunteering
This past weekend the Senior Boys Volleyball Team participated in the AA Island Volleyball Championships at Salt Spring Island. This year, the team sports five members from Barnacle House - Winslow’s corresponding male boarding house. These members are Tristan (setter), Karter (outside hitter), Masato (outside hitter), Max (libero), and Wilson (middle). The boys came into the tournament ranked second in the South island division. In the first day, tough losses against top-ranked North team Gulf Islands and traditional powerhouse PCS placed SMUS third in their bracket, narrowly avoiding elimination from championship contention. In the second day however, the team elevated their level of play back to their midseason peak. SMUS extinguished Timberline’s hot winning streak 21-25, 25-23, 15-9 to qualify for the Island semifinals, where it faced a peculiar rematch with PCS. The excellent level of play in the quarterfinals was shown in the spirit of our athletes, as SMUS snagged the first set thanks to pulverizing blocks. However, strong serving from PCS brought the game to a set a piece. PCS stepped up and took the final set with outstanding scramble play. Now, SMUS looked to face Gulf Islands school, North Island’s best team (featuring a star setter committed to UBC), for another rematch. Coming into this 3rd place contest, the final Island berth to the provincial championship was at stake. Through the entire season, SMUS has not once beaten Gulf Islands in competition, always going the full stretch but losing in the tie-breaking final set. Our Barnacle boys were set on changing that. With incredible digs on crucial moments, outstanding sets, and thundering spikes, the SMUS team began to build momentum. Turning in the best performance of the season, SMUS upset Gulf Islands - tournament host and last year’s Island champion - in four sets to claim the final provincial berth.
For SMUS, this is the first ever provincial berth given to a volleyball team - of either sex - in its entire history. It is especially historic to note that nearly half of the entire team is composed of Barnacle boys, including three of the six starting members. We wish the boys best of luck next week as they travel to Langley for provincials, and to keep making us here at Winslow/Barnacle proud.
On Saturday, Shelbourne Community Kitchen provides cooking classes, meals, fresh, and non-perishable foods to those in need. This past Saturday some SMUS students helped with the heavy lifting and organization of their new storage location at Lutheran Church of the Cross. The Community Kitchen was very thankful for the extra help and invited the volunteers back at any time.
