They weren’t able to pick up a medal but both Mount Baker Secondary Wild Senior volleyball teams can hold their heads high at the conclusion of their 2016 campaign.
The boys tied for 11th place at the AAA Big Kahuna BC Volleyball Championships in Langley over the weekend, while the girls placed seventh at AAAA Provincials in North Vancouver.
The Senior Boys started out strong with back-to-back 2-1 wins on Wednesday over David Thompson and Elgin Park but came up just short in the third and final round robin match against Fraser Heights falling in the third set 16-14.
Earning second place in the pool, the team advanced to the Championship Bracket where they beat Claremont before being eliminated by Semiahmoo in a 3-1 loss.
In the consolation rounds, Mount Baker beat both Mount Boucherie and Van Tech 2-0 and earned themselves a tie with Fraser Heights for 11th place.
The girls also kicked off their tournament with strong play, as they put up two 2-0 wins against Mission and Killarney, before ending their round robin with a 2-0 loss to Mount Douglas.
In the championship bracket, the Wild bested South Delta 3-1 but were ousted in a heartbreaking fourth set defeat to Earl Marriot in the next round, ending their championship hopes.
With a chance at a fifth-spot finish, Mount Baker lost to Lord Tweedsmuir 2-1 but managed to capture seventh place with a convincing 2-0 win over Kelowna.
There were 16 teams at the Girls’ provincial tournament and 20 at the Boys’, meaning both teams were solidly in the middle of the pack.
While both teams are likely somewhat disappointed to not have been able to go a little further and compete for a medal, the boys and girls of Mount Baker had tremendous seasons and their final rankings reflect their strong year.