The following is being distributed at the request of School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador:

Provincial Island Boys 2A and 3A volleyball championships this weekend

The high school volleyball season kicks off the coming weekend in the provincial scene with two boys School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador volleyball tournaments. These tournaments are identified as island provincial tournaments, as they are used as qualifiers for the provincial tournaments slated next month in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The winner of each of these will travel to Labrador to compete for the provincial title against Labrador schools.

The island 2A boys volleyball tournament is being hosted by Belanger Memorial in Doyles. Nine teams will be competing for the right to represent the island in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The tournament is set up in a two division format with a five team and four team division. Playing in Division A will be Riverwood Academy (Wings Point), Jackman All Grade (Trout River), Belanger Memorial, Fortune Bay Academy (St. Bernards), and Bishop White All Grade (Port Rexton). Competing in Division B will be Canon Richards High (Flower�s Cove), Main River Academy (Sops Arm), Grandy�s River Collegiate (Burnt Island) and Fitzgerald Academy (English Hr.).

The tournament underway Friday, at 8 a.m. and continues throughout the day and into Saturday morning. The top two teams from each division advance to Saturday afternoons playoff action.

King Academy in Harbour Breton is the host school for the island 3A boys volleyball championships. Six teams will compete in a round robin format to determine the island representative at the provincial in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Joining the host, King Academy in action will be Glovertown Academy, Lester Pearson Memorial (Wesleyville), Baie Verte High, Piccadilly High and Roncalli High (Port Saunders).

Matches get underway Thursday at 6 p.m.. Preliminary action continues all day Friday. The top four teams advance to the playoffs on Saturday. The top two teams then advance to the championship match.

In its continuing effort to emphasize sportsmanship, School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador, is sponsoring the Sportsmanship First Program. In addition to the Team Sportsmanship Award, each team will nominate an individual player to receive an individual sportsmanship medal.

The top teams will be rewarded with gold and silver medals, while the winner of the championship game will also receive the coveted championship banner.

Convenors:

Island Boys 2A Volleyball - Roland Peddle, (709) 955-2940 (Tel), (709) 955-2620 (Fax)
Island Boys 3A Volleyball - Jon Bennett, (709) 885-2319 (Tel), (709) 885-2161 (Fax)

2005 11 28                                 9:15 a.m.