Rapids 14U Boys Take Gold
Seeding obviously didn’t matter to the Niagara Rapids.
The Rapids went into the Ontario provincial volleyball championships in Waterloo ranked eighth, but came away with a gold medal after defeating the Durham Attack Black 25-23, 25-17 in the 14U division final.
“They definitely played above the expectations,” coach Albino Pereira said.
Pereira could sense a top five finish, but the inconsistent play during the season had him worried.
“We beat the No. 1 seed MAC in the season which gained the team a boost of confidence,” he said.
Once the powerful MAC club was defeated by the Attack Black in the provincials, Pereira knew it was the chance of a lifetime for the young boys.
“The Attack Black played at their level while we played to our best,” Pereira said of the final.
Leaders on the team were Steven Falk, Liam Kopp and Clayton Blanchette, who kept the team focused through the tough season. But Pereira credits the entire nine-man team on the successful season.
Other members of the team were Todd Robinson, Graham Boese, Nick Sneyd, Luke Wall, Mackenzie Hamilton and Jordan Pereira.
To advance to the Tier 1 side of the tournament against the top 16 teams in the province, the Rapids defeated the Chatham Ballhawks 2-0 (25-12, 25-12), the Durham Attack Black 2-0 (25-18, 25-18) and the Waterloo Tigers Black 2-1 (22-25, 25-22, 15-7)
The Rapids then defeated the Toronto Boys 2-1 (25-16, 23-25, 15-2) and the Ottawa Maverick Bandits 2-1 (25-21, 16-25, 15-8). The only loss on the day came against the top-seeded Mac Club that resulted
in a second-place finish in their pool.
In the playoffs, the Rapids defeated Windsor 2-1 (25-21, 20-25, 15-3), Pakmen 2-1 (26-28, 25-19, 15-7) and the Waterloo Predators 2-0 (25-21, 25-20)
The Rapids will have two returning players, Pereira and Blanchette, in their quest to repeat next year.
The St.Catharines Standard
