By Joel van der Veen

LOREBURN — Whether you were playing, officiating or sitting in the stands, it felt like fall in the Loreburn rink last weekend.

Fifteen teams competed in Loreburn’s junior boys and girls RAVE volleyball tournament on Sept. 16, with the action divided between the arena and the gym at Loreburn Central School.

With fall temperatures setting in, spectators and players on the bench sought refuge in winter coats and heavy blankets, while active players and officials had to find other means to conserve their body heat.

Sue Ann Abbott, who was keeping track of game results, said the rink warmed up as the day went on — “not a great deal, but enough to make it more comfortable for the referees and the people sitting in there.”

Three courts were set up on the concrete floor of the skating rink, while the school gym served as the fourth court.

The day began with round-robin play and ended with playoff games. Ten girls teams and five boys teams competed.

Fox Valley defeated Eston to win the girls championship game, while the A team from North West Central School beat Rosetown in the girls consolation final.

Three local girls teams competed, but none made it past the round-robin play. The Hanley Sabers placed third in Pool B, while the Kenaston Kodiaks were fourth and the Loreburn Aztecs were fifth in Pool A.

On the boys side, Dinsmore was victorious over Weyburn in the championship game, while Loreburn defeated Beechy to take the consolation title.

Davidson finished in fifth place in the round-robin competition.

This was the second of three volleyball tournaments Loreburn is hosting this fall.

The first, the senior girls tournament, drew 14 teams on the weekend of Sept. 8 and 9. The third, a senior boys tournament, was scheduled for Sept. 23.