Neither Innisfail team made it out of weekend round robin play, but both competing teams played their hearts out, coaches said.
Grade 9 girls took Ponoka to a third set before losing 15-12 in Lacombe.
“The girls played an amazing first match,” said coach Jen Lettke. “They were passing better than I've ever seen them pass.”
In their second game the team was swept in two straight by Lindsay Thurber, knocking them out of playoff contention.
In Sylvan Lake Innisfail senior girls came out strong against Lacombe, securing the first set 25-22. Their opponents battled back in the second round winning 25-15, before sewing it up 15-8 in the third.
Innisfail Jr./Sr. High School Athletics Director Jeff Anderson said the girls played so well parents from Lacombe even told him his players had improved remarkably over the course of the season.
“That's the biggest compliment a coach can have,” he said.
The team's performance was a bit flat in the second match against Camrose, and they lost in two straight.
Saturday night Anderson texted the players, congratulating them on their fierce effort against Lacombe, the team that ended up winning the tournament and will advance to provincials.
“For a young team with a lot of young players on it that's a huge gold star,” he said.
