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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Thomas Simpson school sent two volleyball teams to Fort Smith this past weekend to participate in the Lawrie Hobart Memorial Volleyball tournament held at P.W. Kaeser high school.

Forty-one teams competed in the weekend-long tournament. Thomas Simpson school coaches John Forbes and Sue O'Neill were pleased with the event and the hospitality of the community, the staff and volunteers at the event.

The Thomas Simpson school junior volleyball team prepares for battle during one of their matches at the Lawrie Hobart Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Fort Smith last week. - photo courtesy of Paul Stipdonk

"It was a well-organized tournament and very well put on by Fort Smith," Forbes said. "We hope to be a part of it again in the future."

While the event brought tough competition to the courts from all over the territory both Forbes and O'Neill were pleased with the efforts put forward by the two girls teams they took to represent the school.

"It went really excellent for both teams even though they didn't do as well as they had hoped," O'Neill said. "It was a learning experience for the senior girls to see what competitive teams play like and what they need to do if they want to move up to the next level," Forbes said. "The junior girls were a step ahead in their category over every other team. They could continue to improve and really be a force in the future."

The junior girls were able to win one match out of four, while the senior girls were unable to win a set. Forbes was really pleased with the efforts put forth by both teams, especially when it came down to sportsmanship.

"The girls went out and played hard every game, even when the score wasn't in their favour," he said. "They were positive and had fun, it was really great to watch."

O'Neill thinks with some practice, skill development and improved teamwork, the junior girls could start to turn some heads next year.

"They could be a team to beat in years to come," she said. "Give them some practice and more exposure to volleyball they could really develop into something special. They seem really enthusiastic about it. Without tournaments to go to it might dwindle a bit, but we will have to wait and see."

Even though they only had a few weeks to prepare for the tournament, Forbes said they had a chance to really develop some teamwork and focus on their skills. O'Neill said considering the situation, she was happy with how things went with the teams.

We didn't start practising until the last week of September," she said. "It's hard because we only carry one sport at a time here, so we didn't start volleyball until cross-country and soccer were both over so we weren't fighting over who gets what players for what sport. With more preparation who knows how these girls would do."