After five years of silver, this local volleyball team struck gold

• First title since 1953
• Grade 11 Sodaro wins top player award

After consecutive years of second place finishes in boys volleyball, the Kelowna Secondary School Owls finally captured the top title for the first time since 1953.

“It feels amazing to finally bring back a gold medal after five years winning silver. It’s great for all the coaches in Kelowna who helped coached these kids,” Head Coach Mike Sodaro told Kelowna10.

In what was supposed to be a home court advantage, with the final slated for Kelowna, the tournament relocated to Richmond in the wake of devastating flooding.

Sodaro said the teams worked with BC School Sports to make sure the boys got the chance to compete for the top title.

“We really wanted to make sure we got a provincial championship to go to for these guys,” he said. “Even though money becomes a big obstacle, it’s well worth it when you think about the memory these guys will have for the rest of their lives.”

The relocation wasn’t the Owls only obstacle. One of the team’s top players, Sebastien Manuel, went down in the second game of the round robin to injury.

Sodaro said the team rallied together to make up for the loss.

“This was a really strong team, from the first guy to the fourteenth guy,” he said. “We had guys to step in and fill his spot and push through. It was a mazing to have that much depth on the bench.”

The championship game saw the Owls go up against Elgin Park from Surrey in a back-and-forth affair, ending 25-20 in the fourth set to secure the victory.

Grade 11 setter Walker Sodaro, who stepped up in the absence of Manuel, said the team pushed through together to win.

“Losing Seba, who’s the best player in the province, was a big hit, but we had tons of guys who stepped up. Our team is so close. We molded together anyways,” he said.

Walker not only scored the winning shot but took home most outstanding player.

“It was a great feeling, but we wouldn’t have gotten any of those awards without the rest of the team there. We have a close group of guys,” he said.

The Owls finished the season with a record of 48-1.

Six members of the championship team will be back next year.