April 1-2, 2006 - OH NOOOOO!  Our setter broke her arm on the eve of the 2006 OVA 14U Girls Tier 1 Ontario Championships in Scarborough!  Who on earth would have let her daughter go swimming days before such a big event?  Swimming is extremely dangerous!  You could slip and get hurt - never mind the damage it does to your hair!

Well, the "April Fool" who was the target of that joke took it well and no one looked too foolish, other than the weather man who called for spring and not summer.  As we leave Ottawa, it is a balmy 22 degrees and we are going where there is often little snow, lots of cement - a place where it is Hot! Hot! Hot!  24 degrees in TO.  It is the final weekend of the season, the end of the line.  This is it - our team's Provincial Showdown.  The National Capitals 14U team is off to play for all the marbles at the University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus.

 

Saturday morning there is a change in the weather and a brief chill in the air.  The Rec Centre is busy and the air is thick with self-confidence.  At this time of the year, all the nervous twitters are gone; everyone in the room knows that they have already earned the right to be here; they are all solid contenders in this tournament.  It is going to be a tough day for all.  Let the games begin!

 

The CAPS started the day off strongly and seemed to pull together quickly as a team.  The team's first opponent was Durham Attack Black.  Our strong servers strutted their stuff and the team held their focus.  There was lots of energy and it could have been anybody's game.  The two teams displayed a similar skill level, but Durham just seemed to have that ability to dig a little deeper, using their killer serves to defeat the CAPS 21-25, 15-25.

 

The next match sees Georgetown Impact brimming with confidence.  The games were tight but, once again, the CAPS lost in two: 21-25, 23-25.

 

The girls close out pool play against Pegasus Black (Kingston) and play their best sets of the day, winning 25-12, 18-25 and 15-10.  The CAPS settle for 4th in pool, but their volleyball was entertaining to watch and the girls played well.

 

The last match of the day and the beginning of playoffs saw Niagara Rapids Black (St. Catharines) taking the contest in two sets, but not without a struggle.  The play was good but the Rapids were awesome.  The CAPS just couldn't press with their service game and gave away a few too many points.  Final scores were 21-25, 16 -25.

 

After a breakfast of champions on Sunday morning, a well-rested team faced Ottawa Mavericks and took the match cleanly 25-20 and 25-22.  Next they settled down to a quiet moment in the gym during the OVA Award of Excellence presentations.  Coach Chambers presented our own Erica Hart with the award for the 14U team.  No question that Erica "Put her heart into it" all season long.  Congratulations came from all the girls as she graciously accepted her award.

 

The final game of the day, the tournament, and the season for the CAPS was a rematch against Pegasus Black from Kingston.  The girls tried to change their luck with a change of jersey and, donning the gold, they gave Pegasus a battle in 3 sets for the second time this weekend.  There were many tweaks over the nets, some really awesome bumps and digs, and even some serving streaks.  The first 2 sets were a split: 25-22, 15-25.  The last set featured some beautiful rallies, but the girls just didn't quite have enough to secure the victory, dropping the third set 14-16.

 

16 teams, almost 50 matches, more than 15 hours of volleyball, a wonderful weekend full of highs and lows.  It seems a bit unfair to simplify things by listing the teams in order, but that is the way it is done.  It is a commendable feat that these girls made it so far, especially when you consider that, in reality, there were some eighty (80) 14U teams competing throughout the province this championship weekend.  To finish in the Top 12 of the Top 16 is something of which you girls should be very proud.  Congratulations!  You have improved so much, learned so much and you are only going to get better.  On behalf of all your parents, we are truly delighted by your success this season.

 

Thanks to all the usuals for providing the girls with great food, transportation and, of course, positive reinforcement.  Special thanks go out to the coaches, Head Coach Rebecca Chambers and Assistant Coach Tammy Koba.  Tammy we were so happy that you were able to come this weekend to support the girls in their final tournament.  It was great to have you there!

Have a great summer on the beach girls, and make sure you keep in shape for September and a new season.