April 22-23, 2006 - Playoff
fever has hit the Nation's Capital! Teams of every calibre
from junior girls volleyball to the Ottawa Senators hockey team are
wrapping up their seasons with their eyes on the prize - attaining
their goals under playoff pressure! The 15U CAPS girls headed
down the 401 (yet again!) to play in the OVA 16U Girls Ontario
Championships/Tier 1, in Cambridge. Reaching Tier 1 at this
older level is an accomplishment to be proud of, but the girls also
wanted to show that they could play with these big, fast 16U teams.
Being the final seed of 16 teams, they were determined to play hard
and dig their way up the placement ladder.
First opponents were the #1 seed
Scarborough Vipers. Looking across the net, the Vipers were
not only older, but bigger... much bigger! However, the girls'
confidence level was high and they remained focussed on their game.
With an early tie at 3 following two middle hits for the CAPS, the
girls communicated well on the court, bolstered by a huge solo stuff
on their big middle, and a setter joust to keep the set close.
However, as the CAPS' serve-receive faltered for a few points, the
Vipers pulled away for a first set victory: 17-25. A change in
the line-up gave all CAPS the opportunity to play, and again the
on-court communication helped the girls as they adjusted to the hard
serves and pounded a few balls of their own on the way to a 14-14
tie. A brief pause for a new game ball (who knew 16Us could hit
it so hard the seam would rip?) gave the Vipers time to regroup
against our feisty 15Us, but they could not pull away as before.
The outcome would be the same, but the CAPS had come much closer:
23-25!... against the #1 seed! What a boost for the
team.
After a snack break, the team took to the
court against Aurora Storm. This time, the hard serves of
the opponents gave the CAPS trouble, as time and again the dreaded
'over-bump' handed the ball back to the Storm's hitters and they
seized the opportunities with efficient put-downs. The CAPS
never gave up, as they pulled out a new play from their arsenal: a
picture-perfect quick set in the middle for a resounding kill!
The fans exploded, giving the team a boost, but it was short-lived.
The second match ended in straight sets in Storm's favour: 14-25,
17-25. Regrouping over lunch, the CAPS then faced Waterdown
Raiders. Though their mood remained up-beat, the girls' woes on
serve-receive once again proved their undoing, as they scrambled to
set up some sort of offense off the tricky Raider service game.
Just as the girls adjusted a little deeper to counter such tough
serves, the net jumped in as 7th man, as the Raiders reeled off point
after point from 'let' serves off the cord! Some matches
just don't go your way - this one went to the Raiders: 10-25, 14-25,
placing the 15s 4th in Pool A.
A long break in the action saw the girls
decide to get some 'fresh air' and rejuvenate in their own way: some
by shopping, some by returning to the hotel for a team foot-soaking.
(Satsuma, Tostidos and salsa makes a great party!) Back together
for the 1 vs. 4 crossover, the girls would not be intimidated by the
quickness and size of the big DRVC (Ashburn) team.
Responding to DRVC's outside hits, the CAPS blocked and tipped to stay
close at 11-15 before their opponents pulled away to take the set
14-25. Regrouping yet again, the girls played smart: hard middle
hits gave the CAPS a lead at 16-14. Tipping around the block
kept DRVC scrambling on defense and the score tied at 21-21. But
a few mental errors gave DRVC the chance to capitalize and take the
set with 4 straight points: 21-25, relegating the CAPS to the bottom 8
for the balance of the tournament. The CAPS may have finished
Day One winless, but they showed they were not to be taken lightly.
They were game to battle with the best 16U teams in Ontario, and for
that they earned respect from all in attendance.
Playing at 16U Provincials gave the girls
the exciting opportunity to cheer on their older clubmates. It was
great to see both teams cheering and supporting each other throughout
the tournament. Hoping to spend Saturday evening together, the teams
were forced to readjust their plans as none of the local
establishments were able to accommodate a party of 50 (imagine
that!). So, after showers and much discussion, the girls checked
out eating establishments close to the hotel, accompanied by Carole
Mongeon. Food of choice: A&W and a bucket of Chubby
Chicken... while the remaining parents (and coach) checked out the
hotel fare. After an evening of movies and a quick team meeting,
the girls turned in for the night.
Sunday morning brought grey skies and rain
- a perfect day to spend in the gym! The CAPS faced Niagara
Rapids, starting the match with monster hits from the outside. The
hours of practising defense also paid off, as time and again the CAPS
dug what was pounded at them. Playing up-beat and positive ball,
the girls took their first set of the tournament 25-21. The
second set started with hard offside hits to keep the Rapids on their
toes, but 5-3 would be the only lead of the set for the CAPS.
The Rapids' serve caught fire and led them to a 15-25 victory.
The third set once again started with fast play on both sides, with
the CAPS hitting hard from all three positions. At the split, it
was 8-4 CAPS. But the Rapids were not about to hand the match to
the CAPS, and battled back to a tie at 8, before the CAPS' hard hits
once again found holes in the block, giving them the set and match
win: 15-11. The 15U girls had won a match at the Tier 1 level of
16U Provincial Championships, moving them up at least 4 places from
their seeding.
Coach O'Doherty was pleased after the
match. "Considering our straight-set loss to Rapids just last
month and the pressure of the tournament, this match was a good
barometer of how much the girls are improving. They really
played as a team out there, and that's always
encouraging."
A break in the action for the OVA Award
of Excellence presentations saw all teams together to honour the
award winners. The 15U team award went to Lauren Carter,
who has led the team by example with her positive attitude and strong
work ethic, to go with her steady on-court play. Congratulations
Lauren!
Feeling confident after their morning
success, the CAPS then faced Peel Selects (Brampton).
Unfortunately, the Selects' service game had the CAPS scrambling
once again. Two beautiful saves over the scorer's table gave the
never-say-die CAPS a couple of points, but with their offense never
getting the opportunity to get off the ground, the set went to the
Selects: 10-25. Digging deep in the second, the girls served
hard, hit through the Selects block, and tipped when needed to come
back from an 18-21 deficit to tie the set at 23. Unfortunately,
the comeback ended all too soon as the Selects got the points they
needed to take the match 23-25. The CAPS finished the tournament
tied for 11th place. Congratulations to the girls for their
strong, confident play, and to their 16U clubmates on their impressive
5th place finish.
After the event, Coach Cathy commented,
"Not all teams, coaches and parents make the commitment it takes to
'play up' to an older age division. I feel the challenge of
doing the 16U tour has really added excitement and value to the
season. There's no question the girls benefit from the
exposure to the higher calibre of play - this weekend proves it.
Our 15U girls should be commended for their hard work at 16U this
year."
Many thanks as well to the 16U CAPS and
their parents for their cheering and support, to Coach Cathy for her
patience, her guidance and for the time she spends to take the team
this "extra mile". Thanks also to the 16U coaches, Matt and
Rebecca, for helping with warm-up and on the bench when schedules
permitted.
The team is now looking forward to the
OVA 15U Ontario Championships/Tier 1 to be held in London this
coming weekend (April 29-30). Ah yes, the 401... haven't we seen
this rest stop before???
Results/OVA 16U Girls Tier 1 Ontario
Championships:
Gold: Durham Attack (Oshawa)
Silver: Scarborough Vipers
Bronze: DRVC (Ashburn)
4. Waterloo Tigers
5. National Capitals
6. Durham Attack 15U (Oshawa)
7. South County Bandits (Essex)
8. Aurora Storm
9. Waterdown Raiders
9. Peel Selects 90 (Brampton)
11. Ottawa Mavericks
11. National Capitals
15U
13. Etobicoke Titans Thunder
13. Stratford Stingers
15. Niagara Rapids (St. Catharines)
15. Birchcliff Crush
