In a season of building toward the provincial pinnacle, the Holy Rosary Raiders have arrived at the Alberta high school 3A girls’ volleyball championship as the Northeast zone champions.
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Playing at home in Lloydminster last weekend, the Raiders won 10 sets during their zone championship, while dropping just one set in the two-day tournament. That came during the final match, which ended with Holy Rosary defeating Notre Dame of Bonnyville 15-9 in the third set.
The Raiders won 25-16 to open the gold-medal match, before Notre Dame posted a 25-22 victory to force a decisive set.
This week, the Holy Rosary girls represent their zone in the provincial championship at St. Joseph Catholic High School in Grande Prairie. At the same time, the Northeast champion boys’ team from Holy Rosary plays its provincial championship tournament at Peace Wapiti Academy, also in Grande Prairie.
Notre Dame (Bonnyville) secured one of the two wildcard berths in the girls’ provincials, which run Thursday through Saturday.
For most of the season, Holy Rosary has been ranked among the top 10 teams in the province.
“The team understood from the beginning that a championship was not won in the first week, and that the season is a process, with the goal of getting better every week, and the main goal of being the team to represent the Northeast at provincials,” said Raiders coach Trent Kusch.
“The Raiders’ season is defined by growth, resilience and being the hardest-working team in the gym. From the first serve of the season to the last point at zones, this group showed what it means to commit to each other, push through challenges and improve day by day.”
The Raiders played 50 matches and more than 100 sets in a season during which they took home medals from three tournaments, including a golden performance at the Holy Rosary Invitational.
“Each week brought new opportunities to refine skills, build trust and raise expectations,” Kusch summarized. “Practices were not just about technical reps or conditioning. They became spaces where players encouraged, challenged and supported one another.
“Whether learning new rotations, adjusting defensive systems, or sharpening communication on the court, the team embraced the process. Building a team culture of Raider Ball, defined by grit, relentlessness and the amount of bodies willing to hit the floor each point.”
Holy Rosary’s lineup includes Aubree Sunderland, a Grade 12 student who represented Saskatchewan in this year’s Canada Summer Games. The Kitscoty native has committed to playing U Sports volleyball at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.
This is Kusch’s first season coaching the senior girls’ volleyball team at Holy Rosary. The teacher is a prominent baseball coach at the youth and senior levels in Lloydminster.
“Kusch and I have a great time coaching alongside each other,” said Chelsea Steinley, coach of the Raiders’ senior boys’ volleyball team. “It’s his first year at the helm for (the senior girls’) program and he has done such an amazing job with his group this season.
“As soon as we got some pictures with our banner (Saturday evening), our boys headed to the St. Thomas gym to cheer on the girls’ team in the third set of their gold-medal final against Notre Dame.
“It was such a great cap to the day to have both (Holy Rosary senior) teams come out on top.”
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