February 16, 2008 - Another
weekend in Whitby was in store for the 17U CAPS at the OVA 17U
Girls Bugarski Cup - Tier 1. All of us had practiced
rigorously for weeks to be ready for the last 17U Tier 1 tournament
before Provincials, and we meant business.
The first match of the day was against
DRVC - a team recently coming up from Tier 2. Nonetheless
we knew they would present a challenge. In the first set, the
CAPS found themselves asleep on serve-receive, giving up a startling
number of points to the opponent, however we kicked it back into gear,
only to lose 23-25 to DRVC. Second set showed more promise and
initiative, however ended with another loss: 22-25.
Pakmen would be the CAPS' next
opponent, a strong team offensively who have always been a good
match-up against us. Again, the first set started off with a bit
of confusion that would affect the rest of the game, ending in a
victory for Pakmen: 19-25. In the second set, the girls swung
and dug for every ball and kept up with Pakmen, only to come up short:
23-25.
After a long discussion with Matt, we found
a way to kick it into gear for playoffs. Faced up against
MAC, the girls applied what they had lacked in round robin play -
determination and team work - kicking MAC in two straight
sets.
With this newfound confidence, we were
ready for our next challenger, Forest City, who we had
never been able to defeat. With the girls' drive to defeat
our adversary, we swept Forest City in the first set. With Forest City
stepping up their game, we lost the second set, therefore sending us
into a stressful third set which we won 15-11! The CAPS were
going to the semis for the first time all year in a 17U Tier 1
competition!
Matched up against Peel Selects 91,
the girls couldn't seem to maintain their determination and momentum
throughout the entire game, losing the match in three
sets.
Out of the Top 2 ranking, the CAPS were set
on obtaining a bronze medal, this time matched up against
Kitchener-Waterloo Predators, a new and talented club. The
CAPS put on a great, yet exhausting fight, only to finish with a 29-31
loss in the first set. Our fuel had seemingly run out in the
last set, ending in a 15-25 loss, but placing us in a promising 4th
place heading into Provincials.
Thank you to all the parents who drove the
girls down, to our billets, and to those who had to drive another
weekend after the "sleepover" at the diner. A big thanks to
Matt, Chris and Jess for accompanying us. Great effort ladies!
Go CAPS Go!
- Brittany
#7
