When you’re in third place, winning the final regular season game is either a good primer for the playoffs or fodder for the underdog storyline.
The Burnaby Mountain Lions clinched third place in the Burnaby-New West league last week by edging the Burnaby South Rebels 3-1.
The Lions surged and fended off a spirited Rebel run which tied the game 1-1, bouncing back to take the third set and rolled out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth.
Burnaby South got strong performances from Isabel Genghi and Andrea Sugue to stay within striking distance, before Mountain clinched the fourth set by a 26-24 score.
While they still have regular season champion Moscrop (5-1) and Burnaby Central (4-1) ahead of them in the pecking order, that doesn’t mean the 4-2 Lions don’t have a zone berth in their crosshairs.
“Our focus going into playoffs has really been working on offence by finishing and placing the ball,” said Mountain coach Cassandra Der. “We have also been doing a lot of game play to keep our unity cohesive.”
That unity has helped bridge the ups and downs of a short season, where the core of the team is still in Grade 11 and one of their main leaders was lost due to a knee injury.
The team’s biggest win, Der notes, came on the heels of back-to-back 3-1 losses to Central and Moscrop. Wrestling to get back in a winning mode, the Lions traded shot-for-shot with Burnaby North before prevailing 3-2, setting the stage for a three-match win streak.
“Our team has always been really strong on defense and in passing,” she said. “Our team puts in a lot of heart and determination that results in some long well deserved rally point wins.”
Despite the anticipated growing pains of a young team, the Lions stayed true to themselves and bonded, building on the experiences that six players, who stepped up as Grade 10s last year, gained at the senior level.
Leading the way have been Tarren Jhuti, Annika Fong and Janessa Quan – all part of the returning core which cut its senior teeth as Grade 10s last year.
“Tarren has been our team captain for the past two years – even when she was in grade 10 and we had grade 11 and 12s last year,” said Der. “Tarren is a strong focused player who commands our offence and gets us the most kills and points... (She) helps keep our team focused and driven.”
Fong, meanwhile, remains a positive force despite having her season sidelined due to a knee injury. Quan brings a commanding presence as setter.
“(Quan) is also a strong server and strategic player. Our team relies on her speed and quick decision-making.”
Her dedication and skills earned Quan the Burnaby Mountain female athlete of the month for October.
If they are to succeed and play another day, the Lions will need to keep on doing what has spurred them on during good and tough times.
“This team has always been a very coachable team. They work hard and adapt well when given feedback or strategy,” said Der.
On the Burnaby South side of the ledger, the effort against Burnaby Mountain was a positive footing in which to start the playoffs, said coach Lara Tagulao.
"Our tough serves definitely had a huge impact on the match but our setter (Lauren Chong) delivered by distributing the ball so well amongst the team, giving us the opportunity to attack from all over the court," she said.
The playoffs present a fresh chance to show that a 3-3 record was just the warm-up. While Moscrop and Burnaby Central topped the regular season with 5-1 marks and Burnaby North shared fourth place at 3-3, the Rebels demonstrated resilience. While they dropped their final two league matches, the experience and playoff atmosphere is something the players are ready to embrace, Tagulao said.
"We may have lost our last match but much can be gained from a loss as we continuously learn from our mistakes and will be working hard at practices to come back stronger for playoffs," Tagulao said. "The Burnaby South senior girls are ready and excited for playoffs."
The playoffs start Thursday, when Burnaby Mountain plays New Westminster (4:30 p.m.) and Burnaby South takes on Burnaby North (6 p.m.), all at Burnaby Mountain.
The winners advance to the semifinals, Nov. 8 at Burnaby Central.
