Beach volleyball is alive and well at Ashbridges Bay, a great volleyball venue in the heart of Toronto, known for its beach and its boardwalk. The hot summer has encouraged Torontonians to get outside and socialize with their friends, meet new people, get some exercise, and get that adrenaline rush that only comes from competition. The sold-out weeknight Adult Recreational Summer Leagues, of all skill levels, confirms that beach volleyball is one of the most satisfying and fun ways to spend an evening in the city.

The weeknight Adult Recreational League is only one of the many volleyball happenings at Ashbridges Bay and Woodbine Beach Park.  It seems like people of all ages can’t get enough beach volleyball, as there is always plenty of action during non-league hours. Special events like recreational and school tournaments, charity tournament events, OVA sanctioned youth camps, free volleyball clinics, corporate team building sessions and casual pick-up games fill the beaches daily.

Ontario Volleyball and Beach Blast are proud to manage one of the best beach volleyball venues in North America and to have delivered their first successful beach volleyball season. So if you like volleyball and are looking for a way to stay in shape and catch some fun in the sun, this is the place to be.

Anyone wanting to share in this organized action can call (416) 426-7300 or email the OVA at ashbridgeinfo@ontariovolleyball.org  or  info@ashbridgesvolleyball.com. Or check us out at ashbridgesvolleyball.com

Annie Martin celebrating in Marseilles

Marie-Andree Lessard and Annie Martin posted their best result this season with a win and a loss for the second straight day on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour circuit finishing in 13th place, in Marseille, France. Lessard and Martin posted a 2-2 record in tournament play.

The Canadians defeated Rieke Brink-Abeler and Angelina Grun of Germany 16-21, 21-15, 15-10 to advance to the third round before falling to the eventual silver medalists, the Schwaiger sisters from Austria 21-18, 21-13.

In men’s competition, Christian Redmann and Richard Van Huizen of Toronto enjoyed a strong start to main draw play upsetting ninth seeds Andy Ces and Kevin Cès of France 14-21, 21-17, 15-8. They faced another tough opponent in the second round in eighth seeds Martins Plavins and Janis Smedins of Latvia and lost 23-21, 21-13.

The tournament was a double elimination format, so Redmann and Van Huizen continued on Friday against seventh seeds Emiel Boersma and Richard Schuil of the Netherlands losing a heart breaker 2-1, (14-21, 21-17, 18-16).

VC and fivb.org

Cross (far left) shown with other top Toronto high school athletes

There was a time, back when she started high school, that Jenn Cross was self-conscious about her height.

Now, at 6-foot-4, she calls it “a blessing” and something that has helped her accomplish more than she had ever expected.

Just about 6 feet tall back in Grade 9 at Toronto’s Birchmount Park Collegiate, Cross remembers being a topic of discussion because she was the tallest girl in the school.

Now 18, Cross still chuckles when people think she is a basketball player. Better still, Cross likes to watch the strange reactions when she tells them about the days she played hockey — something that got her accepted to the Birchmount exceptional athlete program.

Forget about hoops and hockey — Cross has become one of the top teenage volleyball players in Canada.

“I’m so bad at basketball and when volleyball took over my life, everything else stopped,” said Cross. “My height has really been a blessing. I have embraced it and accomplished so much.”

Cross has been in the spotlight for many reasons.

She has been on the Birchmount Park academic honor roll the past four years, and she has also been the top female athlete in each grade. This year, she got the nod from coaches as the top athlete in the school.

As a middle blocker on the school volleyball team, Cross helped the Panthers win their fourth straight city championship and claim a provincial silver medal for the second consecutive year. She was chosen team MVP and capped a four-year run with a 51-5 record.

“I was embarrassed when they called my name,” she said of being named Birchmount’s top athlete. “There are so many great athletes at our school. The only regret I have, even though we came close twice, is not winning a provincial championship.”

Her career interest is in the medical field, but Cross hasn’t ruled out playing pro volleyball in Europe. She’s now training with Canada’s National Beach Volleyball program and going to the world U19 championships in Portugal from July 27 to Aug. 1.

David Grossman, thestar.com

Follow Cross and partner Humana-Paredes in U19 World Beach Championships

Stratford's Lauren Nothdurft, left, and Anna Feore.

Stratford beach duo Anna Feore and Lauren Nothdurft won their second Ontario Volleyball Association gold medal of the season at the Sauble Beach U14 premier girls’ tournament the July17-18 weekend.

The pair went undefeated for the day, dropping just one game but then winning a nail-biter semifinal tie-breaker that qualified them for the medal round.

A competitive field of 10 teams from across Ontario provided impressive beach volleyball through less-than-ideal wind conditions off the surf.

Feore and Nothdurft also won gold in their division at the Ashbridges Bay, Toronto OVA tournament earlier this month.

Both girls play for the Stratford Volleyball Club.

Also winning gold recently were Stratford’s Katie McLay and her Burlington partner Robyn Misener, who captured the U16 Tier I title at Grand Bend on the OVA Summer Beach tour.

Read more Stratford Beacon Herald

Canadian rock quartet Social Code, whose hit single ‘satisfied’ has topped the Canadian rock charts this past year will be headlining the event, along with Ontario’s Hollerado. Local Winnipegers Tin Foil Phoenix will also be making their return to Super-Spike doing a Cold Play tribute as Viva la Vida.

Super-Spike team registrations are now being accepted for the event, with recreational, intermediate, competitive and corporate challenge divisions open for co-ed teams of 6’s. Last years event saw a record 209 teams take part making it Manitoba’s largest ever volleyball event. All Super-Spike tournament participants receive free access for the concert series and on-site festivities.

Weekend long concert and festival passes for non tournament participants will be on sale this Friday, June 18th for only $25.00 at all Ticketmaster outlets. Team registration forms and further event information is available on the event website at www.superspike.ca or public can phone 474-6645.

All profits raised from the event go towards supporting our National Women’s Volleyball team based in Winnipeg. Super-Spike has become their biggest single annual fund raising event.

VC

Centre stage on the podium

For the second time this season, a Canadian pair has won a NORCECA beach volleyball tournament.

Heather Bansley and Elizabeth Maloney of Toronto defeated Yarleen Santiago and Dariam Acevedo of Puerto Rico in the championship final 26-24, 21-14 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Earlier the Canadians had beaten American pair Tealle Hunkus and Heather Lowe in the semifinal 18-21, 21-16, 15-6.

It was a first career victory for Bansley and Maloney.

“We are very excited. I am so happy with my first gold,” said Maloney, who won a bronze with her partner earlier this season on the circuit. “We worked very well in defense throughout the tournament and it gave us the gold,” Bansley added.

Julie Rodrigue of Quebec City and Katherine Zakrzewski of Toronto, NORCECA winners earlier this season as well, took the bronze beating the Americans 23-21, 21-19.

On the men’s side, Sam Schachter of Richmond Hill, ON., and Ray Sewell of Calgary took fourth spot dropping the bronze medal match to Orlando Irizarry and Robert Rodriguez of Puerto Rico 14-21, 21-17, 15-12.

VC + norceca.org

MAC's Madison Ertsinisn (L) and partner Brittany Vanderlaan

Hamilton’s Matthew Passalent and Brandon Koklis from the Mountain Athletic Club won gold in the Male 14U Premier Division at the recent Cobourg Beach Tournament. Losing only one match in round robin play, Passalent and Koklis swept the rest of their matches with strong team work and defence.

The MAC 14U girls’ team of Brittany Vanderlaan of Stoney Creek and Madison Ertsinian of Hamilton also won gold in the Girls14U Premier division.

Other Mac 14U top three finalists at recent OVA Beach tournaments include third place finishers Hayley Genovy of Stoney Creek and partner Katiana Pare of Hamilton and second place finishers Victoria Golebiowski of Binbrook and Nicole Gwiazdowicz of Dundas. In the 15U category, MAC’s Caitlin Genovy of Stoney Creek and Roberta Dunlop of Waterdown finished third.

Hamilton Scores

Kennedy McMahon and Olivia Reyns have found a great reason to spend their summer on the beach.

The two 13-year-olds are members of the Northumberland Breakers volleyball club. This summer, they have teamed up to play as a pair in beach volleyball, and the partnership is already paying off. On Saturday, July 3, they were in Toronto for the OVA Beach Tournament. Competing in tier one against the province’s best, they strung together win after win before ultimately earning the silver medal.

The tournament was the girls first experience playing against tier one competition, making their rise to silver all the more impressive.

“We really had to play intense, because everyone was two notches or better,” said Kennedy. “We just played to win. It was fun.”
The local girls defeated teams from Scarborough, Oshawa and Oakville on their way to the gold medal match.

“We just fell a little short by two or three points.”

If nothing else, the pair proved that they can handle the competition at the tier one level just fine. While both are skilled volleyball players in their own right, they complement each other just right in order to create a dominant duo.

“We make a pretty good team. We complement each other,” said Kennedy. “I can’t really spike. I’m more of a defensive player. I pass and set so (Olivia) can hit. You need somebody who has power and somebody who is good defensively.”
Olivia agrees.

“We’ve worked really hard to get where we are and we always try to do our best,” she said. “We love the game so much that we want to improve, and we have improved a lot.”

The girls will compete at the provincial championships later this month.

Jason Chamberlain, Northumberland News

If you liked the first issue of Volleyball Source Magazine, you are really going to enjoy publisher Ahren Cadieux’s second, on-line magazine effort. It’s a 62-pager, chock full of player profiles — notably cover girl Liz Cordonier and hard-hitting Gavin Schmitt — and includes a special player, soon-to-retire Paul Duerden.

Also included is  the predictions for the Top 10 Beach Teams, plus the latest on both the outdoor and indoor games. Also check out the“Get The Edge” section, where you’ll get the goods from experts like Mark Heese, Mark “Funk” Roberts, Judy Goss and Nicole Springle.

It’s all there waiting for you to enjoy…so start flipping those pages!

volleyball source magaizine

On June 19, Max Volley in Ottawa, hosted a successful Beach Satellite Tournament event sanctioned by the OVA. The OVA is happy to announce it will be hosting its additional Ottawa Tour event on July 10 at Max Volley for the 12U-16U divisions.

Through the help and support of PVB, the OVA will host its first event in Grand Bend on July 10. This event will also host 12U-16U age divisions.

Our third event will be in Pickering hosted by at Solstice Sport. Solstice will be a Youth Open Satellite Tournament for both males and females. This event will not award points, but will gain you participation towards qualifying for Provincials.

The registration fee for all three events is $80, the deadline is Wednesday July 7, 2010 at 11:59pm. All three events have limited space so make sure you register early. Registration is available on nrs.volleyball.ca

In Addition.
On July 17-18 the OVA Beach Tour will be in two locations offering full points for all divisions in Sauble Beach and Cobourg. Sauble Beach will also host a free illScarlett concert.

The following weekend the OVA will be hosting three Satellite tournaments in Port Stanley, Cobourg and Beach Blast in Toronto. This will be your last chance to gain participation to qualify for Provincials.

For more information please contact Josh Nichol jnichol@ontariovolleyball.org 416-426-7233.