The boys junior volleyball team from Otter Nelson River School (ONR) in Cross Lake scored seven of the last nine points to come back from a 10-8 deficit and defeat the R.D. Parker Collegiate Trojans 15-12 in the tiebreaking game of the Zone 11 championship Nov. 5 in Thompson.
The Nikiks tied the score 10-10 and scored four of the final five points to claim at berth at the junior varsity volleyball provincials in Miami next weekend with the win, which came after RDPC tied the championship match by winning the second game 25-16. ONR took the opener 25-19.
To qualify for the final, the Nikiks beat Hapnot Collegiate Institute from Flin Flon 25-21, 25-21 in one semifinal, while the Trojans got past Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI) of The Pas 19-25, 25-19, 15-8 in the other semifinal.
ONR finished second in the boys' round robin, winning three of six games and beating out Hapnot, which also won three round-robin games, by virtue of beating them 25-16 in their second head-to-head game. Hapnot won the first game between the teams 25-21.
In the girls' tournament, the Nikiks finished fourth, dropping 16 straight points in a 25-16, 25-18 loss to RDPC. The Trojans scored the final eight points of the first set for the win, then opened the second set on an 8-0 run.
ONR was third in the round robin, one spot ahead of the Trojans, whom they beat 25-9 in the first of their head-to-head games before losing the second half 25-20. The Nikiks were swept by Hapnot and MBCI in their round-robin affairs. In the semifinal versus Hapnot, ONR lost 25-9, 25-11.
