Senior hitter Kenzie MacDonald led the Point Grey Hounds to their first city volleyball championship in five years, defeating Kitsilano on their own court in four sets Nov. 10.
"As a team we did pretty well. It took all of us to finish it off," she said. "We struggled a bit in the middle but we ended up pulling through and getting our stuff together as a team. We were happy to win, especially since last year."
The Hounds lost the city tournament last November to a steam-rolling Gladstone team headed to its fourth consecutive victory. When the Gladiators didn't make the playoffs this year, the championship was up for grabs.
Playing with only two seniors, Danielle Hickes in addition to MacDonald, the Hounds won the first set 25-17 and ended the round with an ace from Megan Chan at the service line. Kitsilano gained momentum at the net to take the second set 25-16.
The game tied at one set apiece, manager Susan Chan said the competition ratcheted up. "The third set was a back-and-forth battle with Kitsilano continuing a bit of their second set momentum throughout most of the set," she wrote in an email to the Courier.
Point Grey pulled out a narrow two-point spread to win 25-23. Chan credited the "unstoppable back row attacks" from MacDonald, a team B.C. athlete, for rallying her side in the fourth and final set, which they won 25-15.
MacDonald, the granddaughter of B.C. Lieutenant Governor Garde Gardom, has scholarship offers from two Canadian universities and will make a decision in December.
Her U-18 B.C. squad won the National Team Challenge Cup this July in Winnipeg.
Point Grey and Kitsilano advance to the AAAA girls regional volleyball tournament this week at Handsworth secondary in North Vancouver. For the boys results, go to vancourier. com/sports. [email protected]
