What a Junior Schools’ final day we in UL Sports Arena today. This year we had yet another increase in schools as over 100 teams competed at this age category. This made it a record breaking year as we returned to junior volleyball with lots of supporters to cheer on their teams.
Lining up at the 2022 finals we had new schools as well as our traditional volleyball schools. All games are available for viewing on our YouTube channel.
In the Girls B Mountrath CS overcame Portlaoise College with the game going to the deciding set. Lots of noise, flags and support was great to see from both schools on the day. The Boys B simply couldn’t have been any closer. Two new finalists for this year in Dunmore CS and Hansfield ETSS battled out a tense match and it was Dunmore 16-14 in the decider that took the title back to Galway.
Our middle group of matches had both A divisions on show A Loughrea derby of St Raphael’s and St Brigid’s in the girls while Portlaoise College and Sutton Park School competed in the Boys. Portlaoise boys were able to go one better that the girls earlier and sealed the A title in yet another tense match. Over on court 1. The two Loughrea schools final pitted friends and teammates from the same local volleyball club up against each other. On this day it was the Raphaels’ girls that got over the line in two tight sets.
Our last two matches of the finals were for the new divisions that we created this year due to the growth and demand in school volleyball. In Girls C we had an all Connacht final as Coláiste Muire Máthair, Galway took on Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown The records would show it was the Rossies that became victors in straight sets.
On court 2, new school Coachford College played against long time volleyballers Loreto College, Swords. Coachford cheered on by plenty of support took the the title south but not before a great fight from Loreto.
MVPs
Girls A – Jessica Hackett ( St Raphael’s College)
Boys A – Akachi Ogbulafor (Portlaoise College)
Girls B – Caomihe Dunne (Mountrath CS)
Boys B – Luke Dowling (Dunmore CS)
Girls C Kate Murray ( Scoil Mhuire)
Girls D Rosaleen Dreenan (Coachford College)
