When a sports team comes together as a cohesive unit, pulling for and playing for each other, great things can happen.

A prime example of that is reflected in the 脡cole 琉璃神社 Secondary School senior girls volleyball team recently winning the AAAA provincial championship.

The team, comprised of six Grade 12 and seven Grade 11 students, dominated Yale Secondary from Abbotsford in the semi-final and Riverside Secondary from Port Coquitlam in the final to clinch the B.C. AAAA title.

Combined with the matching championship performance from the senior boys, KSS became the first school to ever win both the senior boys and girls AAAA titles in the same year.

The players were joined by their coach Shauna King in being recognized for their efforts on the volleyball court this season by school trustees at the Central Okanagan Board of Education meeting on Wednesday (Jan. 10).

King, who coached the Mount Boucherie Secondary girls team to a silver in the provincials last year, said this KSS group was unique from any other teams she has coached in her 23-year coaching career.

鈥淭his team played for and with each other all season. They believed in each other,鈥� King told the trustees.

Hanna Keller, a Grade 12 team member, said there was a connection between the Grade 11s and the Grade 12s from the start of the season.

鈥淲e had a good connection. We believed anything could be achieved by us. That is a strong thing to have for any team,鈥� Keller said.

鈥淲e believed in each other.鈥�

Kevin Kaardal, Central Okanagan Public Schools superintendent/CEO, said he watched the KSS senior girls squad play during the season and it was evident to him the togetherness the team shared, pulling for one another, supporting each other.

鈥淵ou have so much as a team to be proud of,鈥� Kaardal said.

The KSS senior boys will get their moment of recognition from the trustees as well at an upcoming board of education meeting.