February 4th, 2006 - It's
2:40 a.m. Sunday and we've just returned home from the OVA 15U
Girls Challenge Cup/Zone C in Ajax. I am too tired to sleep
(wired!) so I've decided to pen an article about today's
tournament. Reflecting on the day, I've opted to write
this story from a parent's perspective.
The 14U girls were amazing! Yes, I am
biased, but these girls have dealt with difficult change in the last
couple of weeks and they need to be commended. Change is
difficult, but like a tough match in volleyball, these girls have
confronted it head-on and have done what they set out to do - play
volleyball! The girls' new coach Rebecca Chambers had a prior
commitment, so Coach Matt Harris generously offered to accompany the
girls to this tournament. Thanks Matt - we're tremendously
grateful.
Pool play saw the CAPS winning against
the Maverick Outlaws (Ottawa): 25-21, 25-12 and then the
Centre Stars (Madoc): 25-18, 25-16. Feeling fairly
confident, the CAPS moved into the 3rd match of pool play against
DRVC Blue (Ashburn). After 3 sets, the match was lost
(21-25; 25-22; 15-17) but the CAPS still ended up first in their
pool.
Now for the break - having bribed the custodian for a table and
chairs, we set up our dining area to accommodate the smorgasbord.
The usual delightful dishes were enjoyed, as well as Chef Marisa
Bertorelli's Italian delicacies. Those looking for caterers in
the future now know who to call!! Activities (other than
eating) included reading, homework, movies, general silliness, and a
few parents even indulged in a euchre match.
Well rested, the CAPS now faced the
Astros de Marc Garneau (Trenton) in the quarter finals. The
girls were a bit sluggish and slow but battled their way through 3
sets to a match win (25-21; 21-25; 16-14). This was a tough
match for both teams, particularly the Astros who lost a player
in the second set to a broken wrist - difficult for athletes and
parents to watch. Both teams' coaches and players should be
commended for their professionalism in dealing with the
injury.
With no break between matches, next up
was Pink Lightning (Toronto) for the semifinals. The
Lighting won the first set 23-25, but the CAPS came back with a 25-21
win in the second. The third set was ours with a 15-11 win and
off the girls went to the gold medal match!
The final brought us face-to-face with
Durham Attack Black 14U (Oshawa). The match was the day's
best, with the CAPS playing phenomenal volleyball against a
tough-to-beat opponent. The girls were energetic, boisterous on
the court, and really showing their true ability. But no matter
how hard they served, passed, volleyed, hit, or tipped they couldn't
quite overcome Attack Black and had to settle for the silver after
being defeated 21-25 and 22-25.
The girls had dug, served, tipped and made
their way through the day, ending up with a silver medal and advancing
to 15U Tier 2. A medal well-deserved! The girls have shown
us that they clearly are out to win! Our temporary Coach Harris
commented, "This tournament was a great team effort and everyone
contributed to the end result, which was to move up a tier. This
is a very talented group of athletes, who really played well
all day. The final match could have gone either way.
It will be exciting to watch this group progress over the years, as
they are the future of the CAPS. My thanks to everyone for a
great weekend."
Special thanks to all the girls:
Alannah - for your great block and
tips during the Attack Black game, and for allowing your father to be
the team's personal trainer.
Ellie - for your digs and your
serves, and for your positive cheery attitude all day long! Your
smile is awesome!
Erica - for your great presence on the court! You are an
inspiration and I only wish that I had 1/100th of your enthusiasm and
dedication. Volleyball aside, when you have some free time
please teach your mother how to play euchre.
Jamie - for pulling it together when
the team really needed it, and for allowing me to be your second Mom.
I feel privileged. You can "live" with me any time!
Jesse - for having the knack for placing the ball in the right
spot at the right time, and for having a mother who makes the best
Mexican dip in town!
Jessica - for your consistent serving throughout the day, and
for explaining to me the differences between soccer and volleyball!
And, yes of course, for your Mom's fantastic cooking!
Kayla - for all of the sets that you
do (and there are many!) and for your Dad who is a terrific euchre
player and can be my partner any time!
Kristen - for your great serves and hits throughout the day,
and for giving me the opportunity to escort you to tournaments and
learn the awesome sport of volleyball.
Sarah - most definitely for your serves, and at such tense
times! And for your Mom who is a great lineskeeper who makes the
tough calls, also at very tense times!
Other special thanks:
To our host, Durham Attack, for running a great tournament and
canteen.
To Jeff Dodge - for teaching the girls to stay warm and stretch, for
acting as assistant coach, trainer, and medical staff for the
day.
To Bob Lafreniere, Don Levy and Barb Taylor - for all of their
lineskeeping.
To all of the parents for your driving, chaperoning, wonderful meals
and for your personal dedication to this team.
And last, but most definitely not least, to
Matt Harris. Your time is appreciated more than you can know.
And, on a personal note, thanks for keeping me company on that nasty
ride home. Your company was critical to our safe
passage.
The team now looks forward to the OVA
14U Girls Bugarski Cup/Tier 1, on Saturday, February
25th.
Results - OVA 15U Girls Challenge
Cup/Zone C:
Gold: Durham Attack Black 14U
(Oshawa)
Silver: National Capitals
14U
Bronze: DRVC (Ashburn)
4. Toronto Pink Lightning
5. Inter Club Kokoro (Toronto)
5. Astros de Marc Garneau
(Trenton)
7. Mavericks Outlaws (Ottawa)
7. Russel Ravens
9. Port Perry Panthers
9. Ottawa Kangaroos
9. Ottawa Kangaroos 14U
9. Madoc Centre Stars
