Upsets turned the Lower Mainland boys’ volleyball championships on its ear this week.
The provincial honourable mention Burnaby North Vikings were upset on the opening day of the Lower Mainland AAA volleyball championships at Eric Hamber secondary last Wednesday.
The Burnaby/New West district champions were eliminated after a losing a pool tiebreaker with Richmond No. 2 McMath when both teams finished the round robin with a similar 1-2 record. McMath swept North in pool play 2-0.
The Vikings opened play with a straight set win over Vancouver No. 3 Vancouver Technical that went on to finish first in the pool and advance to the Mainland semifinals.
North also lost to Vancouver champion David Thompson 2-1.
BNW runner-up Burnaby South Rebels got themselves into the championship round, finishing third in Pool A.
South defeated Gladstone 25-22, 29-27, but lost to provincial top-10 Steveston-London 2-0 and Vancouver No. 2 Eric Hamber 2-1 in pool play.
Hamber was also upset in championship quarter-final play 3-0 by McMath in what turned out to be a strange zone qualifier.
“It was very interesting. The teams you expected to go through got knocked out. It was interesting to say the least. I don’t know what happened in the other pool,” said South coach Peggy Chow whose Rebel boys were defeated 3-0 by Thompson in the quarter-finals.
“But I’m happy with how we did. That last set (against Thompson) was 28-26. Our kids couldn’t have played better,” added Chow.
