Youth show their strong side at diocesan tournaments
By Faye Dismukes
ETC staff
There really weren’t any losers in the annual high school and junior high diocesan volleyball tournaments.
Both events, held on back to back Saturdays, were marked by lots of fun, fellowship, exciting volleyball and great weather. St. Elizabeth youth ministry in Port Neches hosted the tournaments on the parish grounds.
In the high school tournament April 12, more than 280 young people from 20 parishes enjoyed the day of friendly competition in two separate double-elimination tournaments.
In one bracket, the team from Our Lady of Guadalupe, Port Arthur, won four straight matches to make it to the tournament championship game. One of the teams they sent to the loser’s bracket earlier in the day, Our Lady of Sorrows, China, battled their way back to play Our Lady of Guadalupe in the championship game.
Our Lady of Sorrows won the match, and the additional one-game playoff that was required, to take first place in the tournament.
Our Lady of Guadalupe was second, while St. Charles Borromeo, Nederland, placed third and a combined St. Mary, Fannett, and St. Martin de Porres, Cheek, team finished fourth.
The undefeated team in the other bracket also took it on the chin in their championship game.
A second team from St. Charles Borromeo swept through four matches to the final. Meanwhile the team from St. Francis of Assisi, Orange, rebounded from an early loss to win four consecutive matches and a chance to play for the championship.
The St. Francis team won the match with St. Charles and then won the required play-off game to earn first place in the tournament. St. Charles finished second, Our Lady of Lourdes, Vidor, placed third and Infant Jesus, Lumberton, took fourth.
The junior high tournament, played April 19 at the Municipal Park in Liberty, had six teams representing eight parishes.
The team from Immaculate Conception, Groves, won three straight matches to earn a spot in the championship match. They won a match against a combined St. Mary, Fannett, and St. Martin de Porres, Cheek, team to get to that final match.
The St. Mary/St. Martin team won a match against St. Henry, Bridge City, to earn a re-match with Immaculate Conception in the championship match. Immaculate Conception prevailed, taking first place. St. Mary/St. Martin finished second, while St. Henry took third and Holy Spirit, Kountze, placed fourth.
The volleyball tournaments were the final diocesan events of the year for both junior high and high school youth groups.
Trophies for the tournaments and the Kickball Tournament earlier in the year will be presented June 27 during the Eagle of the Cross Banquet at the 42nd Annual Diocesan Youth Convention in Houston.
