For the first time since 2020, there was a tournament to crown the best volleyball teams in the NWT and it ended up being a weekend which featured some really good action.

The NWT Volleyball Championships returned to Weledeh and St. PatSA国际影视传媒檚 gymnasiums over the Feb. 11-12 weekend with 12 womenSA国际影视传媒檚 teams and six menSA国际影视传媒檚 teams battling it out for the right to be called the best. In the end, Yk Blue came out on top in the menSA国际影视传媒檚 final on Sunday afternoon, while JBTMBCDR of Yellowknife captured the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 title.

Yk Blue kept up its string of making it to the final and also kept up the streak of defeating Frosted Tips of Yellowknife in the final. This yearSA国际影视传媒檚 best-of-five decider went four sets with the champs prevailing, 3-1. The two sides split the first and second sets before Yk Blue won the third and eventually the fourth to claim victory.

Mike Mathison played with the champs and said winning the third set was a big key to victory.

SA国际影视传媒淭he comfort level certainly went up, for sure,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檙e in the situation where you have a set to play with, and you know the other team has all the pressure to get the fourth set to stay in it. That being said, we wanted to get it over with and not give them a chance to get the momentum back.SA国际影视传媒�

The final was a reversal of the round-robin meeting between the two teams SA国际影视传媒� Frosted Tips won two straight in the best-of-three contest.

Once Mathison was done with the business of the menSA国际影视传媒檚 final, he put on his coachSA国际影视传媒檚 hat to lead the Crush 18U girls outfit into battle against JBTMBCDR in the best-of-five womenSA国际影视传媒檚 final. Crush won the first set, but JBTMBCDR took sets two and three to put Crush on the back heel. A comeback win for Crush in the fourth set meant a fifth-set tiebreak and a race to 15, which JBTMBCDR ended up winning to take the title.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey got on a good serving streak in the fifth,SA国际影视传媒� said Mathison. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 tough when that happens and you canSA国际影视传媒檛 find a way to break it, but it was a really good final.SA国际影视传媒�

As happened on the menSA国际影视传媒檚 side, the Crush were the superior team when they met JBTMBCDR in round-robin action, but Mathison said their opponent certainly improved from that first meeting.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey were serving better, their defence was better and I think we ran out of gas a bit,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚t would have been the same for them, so thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not an excuse, but they were the better team in the end.SA国际影视传媒�

In addition to the teams from Yellowknife, there were entries from Behchoko, Whati, Deline, Fort Smith and Rankin Inlet.

Mathison said it was a great weekend of volleyball.

SA国际影视传媒淲e always look forward to it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 get a chance to play a lot of menSA国际影视传媒檚 volleyball. We tried to have a menSA国际影视传媒檚 division at the (2021) Crush Open, but it didnSA国际影视传媒檛 happen. I think everyone just enjoyed the chance to get back out on the court and play a territorial championship again.SA国际影视传媒�