Senior Boys’ Volleyball: After Five Years, Their Last Spike Together

By King Lee, VHS 1958

From Grade 7 through to their 2024 graduation, five Vic High volleyball players have now driven their last spike together. Van Dazo, Eighan Entac, André Moneda, Mark Menor and Beaver Luchina have finished in style, helping the Vic High Senior Boys’ team capture the Victoria City Championship and Vancouver Island Championship before finishing eighth overall in the recent B.C. tournament. Grade 12 students Leo Looi, Ranier Gomez and Lebronne Peralta, and Grade 11 student Andrew Janz rounded out Vic High’s team. The volunteer coach was Bethany Murphy with assistance from Gerard Mu and Nick Baker-Bell and team manager Gordon Sleen.

But two extraordinary accomplishments set this team apart. First, it’s been 48 years since a Vic High Senior Boys’ Volleyball team last won the Island Championships. With student interest in volleyball on the rise for a number of years now, clearly Vic High’s passion and skill development over that time are paying off. Second, and some might think this the most important award of all, the Vic High Senior Boy’s and Girls’ Volleyball teams won the local Fair Play award. Refs give out green cards during regular games for fairness and sportsmanship. The number of cards earned by each school are added up, and this year Vic High came out on top. There can’t be any better endorsement of the Vic High culture than an award like this.

The nine-member Senior Boys’ Volleyball team also called up Grade 10 students Myles Morisseau, Haroun Zahra and Cole Niedjalski for early competitions and provincials this year. “They gave us some insurance against injuries,” said coach Bethany, “and were highly valued team members when we won the Spectrum [Community School-hosted] Spikes and Aces Tournament in September.”

The team had achieved success in 2021, winning both the City and Island junior championships. And last season finished second in the City and Island championships, and 12^th at the BC Provincials. Clearly their enthusiasm, their skill, and their team spirit far outweighed their height. Most players are five feet seven or eight inches tall. Only Coach Bethany’s son Andrew at six feet, two inches, matches the height of players on many other teams.

Vic High and Esquimalt were the only Island representatives at the 16-team provincial championship (Nov. 29 to Dec. 2) and, ironically, they met in the opening playoff round. Vic High defeated Esquimalt, 25-18, 25-21 and 25-19, but bowed out to host Langley Christian School, 25-20, 25-19, 25-17, in the second round. In the game to determine seventh and eighth places, Vic High lost to Surrey Christian 31-29 (in a marathon), 25-19. Esquimalt beat W. L. Seaton of Smithers in the consolation round. The provincial title went to South Kamloops, winners over Abbotsford Christian in the championship game. But it’s clear the entire school was rooting for the boys, watching them play via live streaming from the tournament. Talk about school spirit!

                 

 

With athletics not funded by the Ministry of Education or school district, it falls to teams and their coaches and parents to raise the funds to cover the cost of tournaments and travel. Several alumni responded to the call in the Alumni’s November newsletter, and the Alumni Board also contributed $1,000 towards the costs.  “The team would like to thank the Vic High Alumni Association for their support!” said Bethany, “and Vic High Athletic Director Matt Phillips and Vic High Accounts Clerk Carol Jessa for all of their help and support this season.”