OVA News

The gold medals were hanging around their necks, but it was like Kitchener’s Forest Heights Trojans couldn’t believe what had just happened.They were officially the best girls volleyball team in Ontario, yet somehow it didn’t quite seem real. Perhaps it had something to do with the way it all went down.

As they’d been doing for most of the Ontario quad-A girls volleyball championship tournament, the top-ranked Trojans toyed with defeat Wednesday before emerging with a hard-fought victory.

This time is was against the No. 3 Georgetown Rebels, — and their die-hard fans — who rallied from a two-set deficit before finally falling in a thrilling, five-set final. With Meaghan Loveday and Heather Thompson making a double block to end the match, the Trojans escaped with a 25-15, 25-19, 17-25, 25-27, 15-10 victory.

“I have no idea what happened,” said Loveday, the team’s undisputed leader and go-to player. “We had them by two and I guess we just decided to let them come in and give our coaches a heart attack.

“I’m just really happy and I’m so proud of the girls. I know a couple of them were down, thinking maybe we might not get it, but nobody gave up and we played as a team.”

The Trojans had an interesting path to the championship game, winning all their matches but losing the opening set in four of five outings. They went the distance in both of their earlier games on Wednesday, edging London’s A.B. Lucas Vikings 2-1 in the quarter-finals and then rallying to score another 2-1 win over the Mayfield Mavericks of Caledon in a semifinal matchup.

The championship game was a thriller, as a vocal crowd cheered and groaned with every point.

The match looked like it would be over in a hurry as Trojans dominated the first two sets and appeared to be well on their way to victory. Then everything changed. The bounces that had been going their way were suddenly going against them and the Rebels were riding a wave of momentum. The Trojans rallied from a six-point deficit in the fourth set and actually had one shot at victory with a 25-24 lead, but the Rebels roared back with three straight points to take the set.

Then Loveday took over. She had been the match’s most dominant player to that point and managed to somehow turn it up another notch for the final set. A force at the net with powerful spikes, her serves were also giving the opposition fits.

“I wanted to win very badly and I guess it brought out the best in me. I guess I found something extra within me,” said the Grade 12 left side player.

A strong supporting cast also came up big in the two-hour marathon.

Setter Jessie Vicic was steady all tournament and libero Brieanne Gallant managed to save a number of points that appeared to be lost. Thompson, Jen Lennox, Alley Newman and Khira Adams played their roles, while Grade 10 callup Marisa Mota was solid along the back line.

Trojans head coach Kelvin Hui, who is assisted by Lisa Watson and Lynn Vicic, was the picture of composure following the victory and answered every question directed his way before finally admitting he was having a hard time focusing on what had just taken place.

“I’m not sure what really just happened,” he said with a smile. “I know we won, I’m just not believing it. It’ll sink in later, I’m sure it will.”

As for the coach’s words of wisdom heading into the fifth set, the soft-spoken Hui said he kept his message simple.

“I told them to drink some water and relax,” he said.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Trojans back at OFSAA in 2011, as only Lennox is definitely leaving the squad for an NCAA basketball scholarship at Canisius College in Buffalo. Loveday is still undecided on whether she’ll return for a fifth year, but with the rest of the starters coming back, she admits it’s a tempting idea.

“It would definitely be a lot of fun with the same group of girls,” she said.

Mark Bryson, The Record

OFSAA RESULTS:

AAAA – Barrie
G-Forest Heights Trojans
S-Georgetown DHS
B-Sinclair SS

AAA- Stratford
G-Louis-Riel SS
S-Sir Oliver Mowat CI
B-Chatham-Kent

AA-Perth
G-General Amherst DHS
S-Dryden HS
B-Beamsville DSS

A-Kenora
G-Monseigneur Bruyère
S-St.Thomas Aquines
B-Trinity College