(Submitted photo/Lane Gerwing)

By Ben Tompkins

MUCC

Comets hosting girls volleyball invitational for first time in two years

Nov 2, 2021 | 10:05 AM

The 2021 annual Melfort Comets Volleyball Invitational Tournament, will once again be happening this year after a pandemic-induced hiatus that lasted nearly two years.

Although there won’t be any senior boys teams this year, due to scheduling issues, the senior girls will be able to play at home for the first and only time this year, Nov. 5 and 6.

Head coach of the Comets, Lane Gerwing told northeastNOW this tournament is the perfect scenario for his team as it will be good competition at home. It will also give his team insight into what they have to look forward to come regional time, which will be held next weekend.

“It should be a decently high-level of volleyball, it’s a lot of bigger schools playing and getting ready for regionals the following weekend and then provincials the weekend after that. It’s a lot of Northern schools coming,” Gerwing said.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to see where we match up with some of the teams that we could see at regionals or will be representing at other regionals. It gives us a great idea of what to expect at our regionals, but also what the competition is looking like throughout the province. Hopefully, it will be where we can take this weekend as a last little practice or tune-up and see where we need to improve to give ourselves the best possible chance at regionals the following weekend.”

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Although Gerwing is happy that his team is actually able to play this year, he said he is still disappointed that they’re not able to hold quite the tournament they are used to and is excited once they finally do, hopefully, next season.

“Last year due to COVID, we were unable to host this tournament and then this year there was a lot of uncertainty around it as well. Normally we’d host the boys’ tournament alongside this one, however, due to scheduling and other difficulties we can’t. Hopefully, next year we can get back to normal,” he said.

According to Gerwing, the pandemic has caused some other challenges for their upcoming tournament, as there are a lot of teams that had to withdraw due to division regulations.

“Some school divisions aren’t allowing overnight trips, so the Saskatoon teams that were coming, aren’t anymore. Also, anyone on a team that has been labelled a close contact and isn’t fully vaccinated has to quarantine for 14 days, so in some cases that can or has wiped out, almost an entire team,” Gerwing said.

Regardless of the difficulties this tournament may face, Gerwing knows they will get through it, as he also knows how truly important this tournament is for a lot of girls on his team and the opportunities that it brings.

“It feels really good to give the Grade 12’s the opportunity to play at home one last time. When they haven’t been able to in two years, they’ve almost gone their whole high school careers without getting to play at home. For one of our teams, we are a travelling team, so we actually never even get to play at home. Giving them this opportunity to play in front of their family and/or friends from school, it’s really exciting and we’re definitely looking forward to it.”

The full draw of the tournament can be seen here.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8