Michelle Warren's shoulder received quite a workout Saturday as she helped lead the College Heights Cougars to a thrilling five-set victory over the D.P. Todd Trojans.
The 16-year-old's shoulder stayed in its socket when she served up 18 straight points, reversing a 14-3 deficit in the second set of the 2011 double-A senior girls North Central zone championship, but it slipped out during the Cougars' exuberance.
"[It was] celebrating too hard; I threw it out, but it's worth it being zone champions," said Warren, holding an ice pack to her right shoulder after popping it back in. "It's the best feeling in the world."
Warren's second-set heroics were almost overshadowed as the Trojans rebounded to force a fifth set, but with a home crowd cheering them on at CHSS, the Cougars prevailed 3-2 (25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-11).
When the ball touched down for the final time, the Cougars were screaming with joy, while the Trojans had tears of disappointment and exhaustion glistening their eyes. Warren said it was unimaginable for the Cougars to lose after holding a 2-0 advantage.
"It's the scariest feeling, but it's the best feeling in the world," said the Cougars' right-side hitter.
It was the third straight year the Cougars and Trojans met in the senior girls double-A final, with CHSS earning the title in 2009 and the Trojans taking the 2010 trophy.
Taylor Kettles, the lone Grade 12 student on the Cougars' roster recalled the sting of last season's loss and the joy of victory as a Grade 10 player.
"It's always a rivalry between both of us, but this is great in my Grade 12 year to pull it off is awesome," said Kettles, the Cougars middle. "We're like the biggest competitors in our zone, every year it's point-for-point. We're pretty evenly matched."
Trojans' power-hitter Ashley Hart put aside her disappointment - holding a delicious looking frosted cupcake to help take the sting out of the loss - giving props to the Cougars.
"I have total respect for them - they're so skilled and so talented," said Hart.
Warren wasn't the only player to suffer a shoulder problem as the Trojans lost their veteran libero Cassandra Chow in the
second set.
"Cassandra's had shoulder problems, she pops it out once or twice every year," said Hart. "She's a really big part of our team so it's a tough loss, but Tianna [Rossi] really stepped up."
In the deciding set, the Trojans fought back from 3-0 and 8-5 deficits to tie the game at 11-11, but the Cougars, with eight Grade 11s, scored four points to win.
If not for Warren's serving in the second set, turning an 11-point deficit to a seven-point lead, the final result may have had a
different result.
"Serves are the biggest part of the game in my opinion and we need to keep them in," said Warren, recalling five points being her previous service high. "They don't have to be hard, but they have to be in. It was awesome knowing that even when it would come back over, my team would just shove it back in their faces."
The Cougars head to Langley for the double-A senior girls provincial championship Dec. 1 to 3.
For the Grade 11s on the team it will be their second straight trip to the provincial tournament, having won the consolation title with the Cougars' junior team last season.
