10 teams from all around the country took part in today’s competition in Kilkenny to crown the U16 Girls Division C title.In the morning, teams were divided into 3 pools. Pool 1 set the standard, with 3 strong teams fighting for the head. Mayo school Mount Saint Michael SS brought a solid team, able to serve their way to the top of the pull, followed by Dungarvan College, who played every match fighting for every single ball, and achieving great results. The last in this pool was Roscommon CC, who started their day a bit slowly, but found their confidence on the court and showed great individual skills.
In pool 2, the two times 2021/22 senior finalists St Leo’s College faced Mountrath CS and the new school Coachford College, heading to the next phase as top of the pool winning two solid matches. Mountrath girls put all their efforts on the court, filling the second place. Great applause to Coachford College for their passion and motivation on and off the court.
Pool 3 was made of 4 teams. Ardscoil Mhuire from Ballinasloe started their day strong against Dublin school Loreto College Crumlin, but lost some game rhythm along the morning, arriving 3rd in the pool. The Loughrea school St Brigid’s College played well their game, winning against Loreto and Ballinasloe, but no one could defeat the unstoppable energy of Presentation Kilkenny girls, who took the top of this pool.
Having defined the standings, the knockout phase saw the 4 bottom teams fighting for a spot in the quarter-finals, with Coachford winning over Loreto, and Roscommon CC overcoming Ardscoil Mhuire in tight sets.
In the quarters, the cards were mixed, with strong Pres Kilkenny losing their match against Dungarvan College. Very tight the match between St Leo’s College and Roscommon CC, with the latter losing for 23-25, but going home very proud of their path in these finals.
Getting to the semi-finals, 4 very motivated teams were left. St Leo’s College tried their best against a very competitive Dungarvan College, who reached the final winning 25-12. Not that smooth was the match between Mount St Michael and St Brigid’s, where the Loughrea team had to deal with the powerful Mayo girls’ serves, but finally achieved the final for 26-24.
In the final, Dungarvan College brought their fighting spirit to the court, never giving up and displaying great serving skills. On their side, St Brigid’s created a more fluid game, allowing them to reach the gold medal with a final result of 25-17, 25-14.
MVP – Ava Conerney, St Brigid’s College
