Rankin Inlet women finish with silver
Key injury derails title hopes at Yellowknife V-ball tourney
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 18, 2013
RANKIN INLET/YELLOWKNIFE
The Rankin Inlet players lost their momentum when their star setter went down to injury in the second set of the championship match, and had to settle for silver at the 2013 Yellowknife Open volleyball tournament earlier this month.
Reanna Sateana of Rankin Inlet goes up high during volleyball action at the Yellowknife Open earlier this month. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo |
The event, sponsored by Canadian Tire, featured a men's and women's division, with 16 teams hitting the court in four pools on the female side of the ledger.
The Rankin Inlet team was comprised of Reanna Sateana, Germaine Tatty, Holly Mercer, Gloria Uluqsi, Kandace Kusugak, Noreen Muckpaloo and Yellowknife addition Laurette Debogorski.
Rankin finished the round robin in second place in their pool with a 3-1 record.
They breezed past their crossover and quarterfinal games, before winning a nail-biter by two points in the third set of their semifinal against Behchoko's Short Sets to advance to the final against Yellowknife's YK Red.
Rankin took the first set 2517 and was leading 95 in the second when the team's star setter, Mercer, had to be taken to hospital after suffering an ankle injury.
Kusugak said while the team isn't making any excuses, it was very, very difficult to stay focused on the game after Mercer's injury.
She said the players were upset over their teammate's injury and just wanted to go to the hospital to be with her.
"Holly actually ended up being named the final's most valuable player," said Kusugak.
"She was playing the back row and, once you pass the attack line to the front row, it's against the rules to jump.
"She was in the process of jumping, as she was trying to bring the ball over, when she realized she wasn't supposed to be jumping and tried to get back down before totally lifting off the floor.
"That's when she fell and dislocated her ankle."
Kusugak said with the exception of Mercer's injury, the tournament was a well-organized affair that was a lot of fun to compete in.
She said it was great to have the chance to play some really competitive volleyball.
"Other than the Laura Gauthier Memorial, a Yellowknife tournament and one in Iqaluit, we don't get the opportunity to compete at this level very often.
"We just don't get to play enough competitive ball throughout the year, so this was a real treat for us even though we had a few of our regular teammates missing.
"The volleyball was awesome, everyone played really well and we all felt we played some phenomenal defense during the tournament.
"There's another tournament in Yellowknife this coming February, and, hopefully, a Rankin team will be also able to attend that one."
