Don't look now but the Hanmer Sabres are entering SDSSAA Division B boys volleyball playoffs (juniors and seniors) with a combined record of 14-0, looking to make a little history.

While the senior Sabres can look back upon city crowns claimed in both 2021 and 2022 (Hanmer fell in the 2023 final to the Sudbury Secondary North Stars), the junior crew have never reined supreme in the boys volleyball ranks, even within the Division B bracket.

Part of that was due to abstinance, as Hanmer was limited to a single entry for quite some time.

"It was just a varsity team for many years," noted Anne Blanchette, coach of both 2024 entries this fall. "In fact, there were years where we had to have girls playing on those varsity teams just to field a team."

"In the last six or seven years, we've been able to field both a junior and senior team."

And while there has been some level of success, as noted above, this is brand new territory this year for a junior boys team that went 6-0, dropping four sets over the course of those half-dozen matches.

Blanchette, for one, is not surprised that winning is becoming contagious in her school.

"I think, in part, our success has helped," she said. "In the past couple of years, we've won a couple of city championships, NOSSA championships. I think when younger athletes see that, they want to do that too, so it becomes a winning culture."

"And we've been really lucky to have really good role models as senior students," Blanchette added. "I could not ask for better captains."

Continuing the drive that could ultimately see the school of just over a hundred students look to a promotion to the Division A ranks, Blanchette raises the bar at practice, pitting the juniors opposite the seniors, engraining the habits that are second nature by the time these athletes have been around for the full four years.

"I would point to the communication and the drive, the "go get it" attitude," she said. "That's when the ball is going to hit the floor and bodies are flying. It's the level of effort."

With semi-final play and the gold medal encounters set for the next few days, Blanchette is confident her troops are ready.

"We entered a tournament this year where they got to play against Lockerby, Lo-Ellen, those bigger schools," she said. "They were able to gauge where they are at. They had some success, won a couple of sets, but still not there."

"We're starting to get there, slowly."

That might be true when it comes to Division A status - but in the Division B ranks, the Hanmer Sabres are clearly there, standing tall at the top of the mountain.

The Hanmer senior boys roster includes Félix Aubin, Brady Soucy, Tyler Chouinard, Alexandre Desjardins, Noah Savoie, Samuel Aubin, Ayden Courtemanche, Mika Giroux, Jeremy Babe-Lavoie, Shawn Chiasson and Raymond Gascon.

The junior boys team features Nico Girard, Alexandre Montpellier, Tyler Soucy, Simon Riutta, Mayson Pelland, Mathew Gilliard, Jonathan Perron, Leland Daviau, Lucas Brisson, Mathieu Hamilton, Alexi Frappier and Tye Paquette.