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Kneeling, from left, Carter Knelsen, Erick Romero, Shaban Alaliwi, back row, from left, Manager Mohammed, Nick Mastrometteo, Coach Matlack, Abdul Adam Yahua, Zackary Augustine, Andy Groening, Brandon Wiebe, BJ Williams, Landon Fortin, Cole Martineau, Kevin Huynh, Grant Mills, Coach Youssef.
SUN photo

LDSS senior boys volleyball team captures SWOSSAA championship

Before a raucous home crowd, a perfect season continued as Leamington District Secondary School’s Senior Boys Volleyball team came out victorious in the Southwestern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association AA finals on Wednesday, November 15.

Matched up against Great Lakes Secondary School from Sarnia, the local boys won three straight sets by scores of 25-10, 30-28 and 25-22. The Lions came out swinging as they easily took the first set, while the last two sets were back-and-forth affairs with many momentum shifts.

Precision setting from Erick Romero to Brandon Wiebe and Carter Knelsen led to numerous cut shots over the visiting team. Shaban Alaliwi and Zackary Augustine stood up tall as they shut down the boys from Sarnia with their fearless blocking at the net.

Asked to describe what makes this team special, Coach Joe Youssef stressed the versatility of his team. “We have players in all positions that are strong as we returned almost all of our starters from last year. If other teams key in on our middle, we adapt by hitting from the right side or left, and we can hit from the back as well,” said Youssef.

Coach Youssef added, “I am really proud of the guys, they did what they set out to do. They set the tone early and did enough to hang on to win against Great Lakes.”

Carter Knelsen and Shaban Alaliwi, both standouts on the court, shared their thoughts on the SWOSSAA championship. “It was awesome, very hard fought. The other side had a very good team coming in. We had a lot of energy in our stands, thanks to the fans for that,” said Knelsen.

Co-captain Alaliwi commented, “We battled hard, we have been working for this for the last two years. We earned the win, thanks to the supporters, my team and the coaches.”

As far as their upcoming trip to OFFSA in Stratford from November 23-25, Knelsen said, “We are super excited, we are pumped. We will have lots of energy and we will be ready.”

Alaliwi added, “ I’m a little bit nervous going to OFFSA, it’s my first time going to that tournament. With the strong team we have, I think we will do well.”