The Saints have played the Raiders at home at least four times this season in any given sport and the fifth time came over the weekend.

Brian Chisholm and the Sacred Heart junior boys volleyball hosted a six-team tournament over the weekend at the HaloDome

The opening match of the tournament was a meeting between the Saints and the Yorkton Regional High School Raiders.

The game was played to two sets but the coaches wound up agreeing to play a third set as a pre-districts qualifier, says Chisholm.

The opening set went the Saints’ way, says Chisholm even though it did not start out looking so good.

“We were down pretty much most of the game,” he said, but they came out on top by two, winning 15-23.

“In the second set, we didn’t play nearly as well,” falling to the YRHS 25-16.

“Our challenge in that game was playing as a team.”

Chisholm has 10 players on his team, his first as coach of the boys team and they are all in Gr. 9. He also has two players who are avid golfers and a handful of hockey and football players.

“We’re battling with hockey and football as well but guys are committed.”

Both the SHHS and the YRHS are using the playing time as practice time for the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association District tournament which takes place on Oct. 27 in both Langenburg and Churchbridge, says Chisholm.

He added that both Yorkton high schools have qualified for the districts.

“We need to focus on team play and limiting mistakes.” Sacred Heart finished the round robin with a 7-3 record, good enough for third place.

“We played a quarter final match against Balcarres and won in two straight set,” says Chisholm.

The semi final was against second placed Weyburn. “We won the first set but then lost the next two,” notes Chisholm.

The other semi final saw the YRHS beat Estevan, who went on to play Sacred Heart in the bronze medal game.

Says Chisholm: “We jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first set but let up big time and ended up losing the set 25-22. We started out slow in the second but found our legs again, winning 25-22.

The third and deciding set was back and forth. We played with all seven guys all day and the boys were exhausted but found enough energy to pull out a 16-14 win, claiming third place.”

That left the Regional Raiders and Weyburn remaining to fight it out for top spot.

“This was another tightly contested, back-and-forth affair. YRHS lost the first set 26-24 but won the next two to claim the title, says Chisholm.

Also playing in the junior tournament was: Weyburn, Balcarres, Langenburg and Estevan.

SENIOR GIRLS

Next up on the Sacred Heart sports schedule is a senior girls volleyball tournament which will include the YRHS. The two teams will start at 2:30 p.m. in an open-court match. Following that tournament the senior girls will be on the road for the rest of the season.