This following article was published in the Peak in April of 1999.
Aces trump competition
They're the best in BC. Powell River Aces Juvenile team won the provincial club championship for the second year in a row, retaining the title they won in 1998.
"There were a lot of different types of pressures going into the BCs this year," said coach Gerald Lambert. "They were trying to repeat as club champions. The odds are against you when you're ranked number one."
The Aces prevailed, exhibiting their passion and commitment on the court.
"It blows me away," added Lambert. "It's amazing to achieve that high level of success in such a short time."
They progressed through round-robin play undefeated, beating Air North from Prince George, High Altitude's number-two team from Burnaby, and Toyota from Comox. Because they came in first in their pool, the Aces received a bye to the quarterfinals, where they played Vernon and won 16-14 and 15-8.
In the semi-final, they met High Altitude's number-one team and won the first two sets 15-8 and 15-13, lost the third 13-15, and won the fourth 15-5. In the final, they met Air North again. They lost the first set 11-15, then took three straight, 15-3, 15-7 and 15-11.
Avril Smith received an all-star award for her play. Lambert said Jen Côté, a grade-10 student, made a difference to the team as well, as did Shawna McLeod.
"It was a bonus for us that she decided to play club volleyball this year," said Lambert."
The win was also a nice tribute to Willie Knibbs, one of the last original players to go through the club system, said Lambert.
"Gaye Ross is one of the unsung heroes on the team; she works really hard both physically and verbally on the court," he added. "She makes a difference and takes a leadership role."
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