A jittery start, but a strong finish for the Swift Current Mercator Financial 17U Women’s SunDogs volleyball team in their opening match of Sask Cup 2.
The SunDogs are hosting a Sask Cup tournament for the first time this weekend with 28 teams competing at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School and the Stockade.Â
As you heard on Country 94.1 FM’s Local Sports Live powered by OMT Projects, that may have contributed to a nervous start for the SunDogs before they secured a 25-23 25-15 win over the Queen City Volleyball Club.
“We had to call a timeout at about 10-11 points to tell the girls they were playing a little too conservative and nervous,” said SunDogs Coach Travis Cuthbert. “They got out there real quick right after that and got going, started hitting the ball and they passed really well. We got a lot of blocks and some digs we might not have gotten a couple weeks ago.
17UW SunDogs Coach Travis Cuthbert talks to our Local Sports Live broadcast.“First Sask Cup in Swift Current’s history and playing in front of your home crowd is a little nerve-wracking, but I think they did exceptionally well.”
The SunDogs finished in second place at the first Sask Cup in Regina this year and are hoping for another strong effort this weekend.
“I always try to tell them don’t get too ahead of yourself,” Cuthbert said. “Just because we got second the last Sask Cup doesn’t mean we’re going to get 10th here. We’ve got to come out and play. There’s lots of great girls’ volleyball in Saskatchewan right now. We’re up there with the top teams in the province, but that can change weekend to weekend. I know they’ve got their sights set high, but if I can kepe them focused on one game at a time and one point at a team we’ve got the team to do it.”
Cuthbert suggested their captain Reece Holderbein for the Boston Pizza hardest worker of the game.
Reece Holderbein wearing the Boston Pizza hardest working player helmet after the game. “She just got off a cruise ship three days ago and you could see the sweat on her face she was just going the entire time,” Cuthbert said. “She was just ripping balls at them. I don’t think she got blocked once. I had to tell her to tip one time because I know she went up there and was ripping balls the entire time and the defence was sitting on their heels. She played phenomenally.”
Holderbein is impressed by how tight and cohesive their team is.
“We’re just a great group of girls on and off the court,” Holderbein said. “We all get along great, and we have a lot of fun. I feel like we’ve been really resilient. There are lots of times we have been down in a set and we just keep pushing.”
The match was just the first of a busy weekend for the SunDogs. Check back on Swift Current Online after the weekend for results from the full Sask Cup 2 in Swift Current.