Raiders Sweep Lakers Classic Title
Chippewa Raiders win Gold
Caitlin Hebert smashed home the final point at the net to put an exclamation point on the Chippewa Raiders championship win in the Lakers Volleyball Classic senior girls tournament Saturday.
The Raiders swept Barrie’s Eastview Wildcats in the final (25-22, 25-12) to become the first local team to claim the championship since the Widdifield Wildcats in 2002.
Hebert buried the tournament’s final three points on feeds from setter Cori Toshack with Hebert and Morgan Amell finishing off a feed from Toshack was a common sight as the tournament played on.
“Our passing has been phenomenal,” Hebert said after she was presented with the most valuable player honour in the championship game. “Our setter (Toshack) is amazing and she can just get us the ball and that makes the play.”
Six members of the Raiders — Hebert, Toshack, Morgan Amell, Danielle Hebert, Jessica Stickle and Lauren Zuccherato — also play club volleyball together with the under-18 Blizzard team, coached by Chippewa assistant Ben Hong.
“We’ve been playing together for awhile on the same club teams, so over time, I guess you just learn to click,” said Hebert, who is hopeful of playing university volleyball next season. “Things were really clicking in this tournament and I just hope it can carry over into our league.”
The 17th annual Nipissing Classic tournament attracted 24 senior teams from throughout the province. After winning five games to finish atop their pool, the Raiders swept Temiskaming District Secondary School in the quarter-final and Sault St. Basils in the semifinal, while Barrie Eastview beat Sudbury’s Marymount in the quarter-final and knocked off the defending champion Sault Sir James Dunn in the semifinal.
The Raiders senior girls’ volleyball team includes Lauren Zuccherato, Cori Toshack, Jenny Kuehni, Jennifer Stickle, Kirsten Cantin, Danielle Hebert, Morgan Amell, Lindsay Amell, Brianna Appleby, Jessica Stickle, Caitlin Hebert, Rebecca Tumino and coaches Colleen Egan, Mason Truswell and Ben Hong.
Ken Pagan, The Nugget
