FALL RIVER: For many on the Lockview High girls volleyball team, the provincial championship won Saturday on home court was the culmination of four and five years of playing together.
Sine Grade 7 and 8 at Georges P. Vanier Junior High, many of the girls began playing together as a team and that continued when they moved on to Lockview High.
That familiarity appeared to be a benefit for the girls as they went 3-0 in round robin play at the School Sport Nova Scotia provincial championship, hosted by Lockview at the Fall River school and at Halifax West.
Lockview High won the gold medal in straight sets 25-21 and 25-22.
It’s the first-ever girls provincial volleyball banner for the school.
Co-captain Camryn Giddens agreed playing together since GPV days helped.
“Growing together with a lot of the girls back when we played for GPV (which was my first ever volleyball team) is really special,” Giddens told The Laker News. “It’s fascinating to compare some of us seniors from grade 7 & 8 to our current selves.”
The Dragons took the championship final over a game CEC squad—one that both Giddens and fellow co-captain Leah Weatherhead gave a tip of the hat too for pushing them to be on their A game, with Weatherhead saying there was no other team she would have wanted to play in the final but CEC.
Weatherhead said being proud of the team is an understatement.
“Every single player and coach on the team had the shared goal to win a provincial championship,” she said. “We have stayed strong through the whole season even when we took some tough losses.
“We learned and worked harder to peak when it was time. It was a phenomenal championship game.”
Giddens, a senior, said she too was extremely proud of her teammates. She feels knowing the home court like the back of their hand was an advantage—one they took advantage of.
“I think playing in our own gym had a sense of familiarity and comfort that helped us dig deep especially when the game got tough,” she said.
Weatherhead said the Dragons had to work for the win because of the hard work by CEC.
“CEC made us work and they pushed us which made it super fun to play,” she said. “I’m proud of everyone. I wouldn’t have wanted to finish the season any other way.”
Giddens and Weatherhead wanted to send a huge thank you to all the friends and parents who came out, and a special shoutout to Lockview’s Prom Committee, Lockview’s JV Girls Volleyball team, and the rest of the kind volunteers that made the weekend run so smoothly.
Halifax West won the girls provincial bronze over Park View.
In the boys volleyball provincials, Lockview High claimed the bronze medal. Team photo is below as submitted to us.
