Royals Raise The Bar

By Kelly Sharp

John McInnis Royals warm-up before zones

Do not tell the John McInnis Royals they were suppose to be in a rebuilding year in junior girls volleyball. The grade nine and ten student athletes from John McInnis Junior Secondary placed second at last year’s BC Junior Girls Volleyball Championship. The ’06 edition of JMac quickly elevated expectations. John McInnis Coach Mark LaFleur knew he was coaching another talented team but he was even surprised how well the Royals performed leading to the zone tournament.

“They (Royals) finished third out of 24 teams in the Edmonton tournament featuring the top 7 junior girls volleyball teams in Western Canada,” Mark LaFleur said.

A tournament victory in Kamloops and impressive results at home set the stage for John McInnis to defend their North Central zone title.

The host Royals faced familiar foes, Bert Bowes, in the zone final. The junior girls from Fort St John finished fourth at the ’05 provincials losing to John McInnis in the semi-finals. The northern rivalry heated up once again. John McInnis prevailed - 25-23, 23-25, 15-8. Three sets on an emotionally charged roller-coaster.

“They are a great team,” Bert Bowes Coach Brayden Bennett said.

“You can’t give them a chance to get back into a game.”

A tradition of success explains why volleyball is so prominent at John McInnis Junior Secondary. Thirty players tried out for the Royals junior girls volleyball team broken into A and B lineups.

McInnis graduates keyed the success of the two-time defending provincial quad-A girls volleyball champs from Prince George Senior Secondary.

A good attitude and accountability are the cornerstones of the Royals volleyball program.

“We have lots of character,” Royals power hitter Tiffany Chiles said.

For Mark LaFleur it is about creating a positive school culture through sports.

“We set the bar high,” LaFleur said.

Win or lose at the provincials the Royals can already take some valuable life lessons from their volleyball experience at John McInnis Junior Secondary.

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