OVA News

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

The Ontario women took home gold at the NTCC’s in Winnipeg this past weekend. They defeated the Training Centre Southern Alberta team (TCSA) 3-0, (25-12, 25-20, 25-23). Ontario’s Andrea Fisher was chosen MVP.

The Ontario men had to settle for bronze against Quebec 3-1, (25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-19) playing at home in Varsity Arena, Toronto. The gold went to the Manitoba men who defeated Alberta 3-2, (25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-11). Women’s bronze was won by BC.

The NTCC is an annual competition involving 18U (women) and 19U (men) provincial teams from across the country. The event has evolved from previous editions with a high performance component incorporated into the schedules, prior to the main competitions. The participating teams have the opportunity to be involved in training sessions with national team coaches, and partake in classroom sessions with national team athletes and sport science experts.

All these additional aspects to the NTCC events have been added to bring the program more in line with the Volleyball Canada Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan.

Full Men Results

Full Women Results

Women’s ALL STAR TEAM
1. Casie Gund (AB 18)
2. Rosie Schlagentweit (BC)

3. Kirsten Struksness (TCSA 17)

4. Emily Betteridge (ON 18)

5. Alissa Coulter (TCSA 17)

6. Kelsie English (ON 18)

MVP Andrea Fisher (ON 18)

Incoming Varsity Blues women’s volleyball players Olivia St. Jean and Charlotte Sider have been named members of the Team Ontario roster that will compete at the 2010 National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC), July 20-25, in Winnipeg, Man.

A member of the 2010 OFSAA volleyball championship team from Louis-Riel High School, St-Jean was named the most valuable player on the Ottawa Mavericks beach volleyball team in 2009. The Ottawa native will be immediately called upon as a leftside hitter for the Blues and is looking to pursue a degree in psychology while at U of T.

Sider, also a member of the Ottawa Mavericks, was invited to train at the Ontario High Performance Centre (HPC) in 2009. A member of New Brunswick’s under-16 team in 2008, she is a versatile player, comfortable both as an outside hitter and a middle. Sider will enter the Faculty of Physical Education and Health in September.

The team will train at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Sports Hall from July 12-20 before heading to Winnipeg for the 2010 NTTC.

varsityblues.ca

Tessa Alyman didn’t have much time to relish her selection to Team Ontario’s under-18 girls’ volleyball team.

After spending the first week of July at the High Performance Centre training camp in Toronto, Alyman was informed of her selection upon returning home, July 8.

She spent the next two days packing for what will be another two-week road trip, a six-day training camp in Toronto followed by a flight to Winnipeg and another week of competition representing Ontario at the National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC).

For Alyman, the 17-year-old Widdifield Secondary School student, it means her entire month of July will be spent away from home devoted to elite volleyball, but that’s just what she wants.

Volleyball is my life and I’ll do anything to get to that highest point,” she said. This is my summer and basically, it’s a whole month I’ll be gone, so I’ll do a lot of the extra things to help me get better.”

The six-foot middle/right side player, with a knack for knocking down points at the net, was selected for the team from more than 40 elite players at the High Performance Centre (HPC) training camp.

It was amazing,” Alyman said of the week-long camp.

Get the full story from Ken Pagan, The North Bay Nugget

Each year, the Burlington Blaze Volleyball Club awards a scholarship to a graduating player who has made a significant contribution to the sport of volleyball, the Club organization and her secondary school. Requirements include a minimum of 2 years as a member of Blaze, an academic percentage of 75%, a contribution both on and off the court to the Club, and acceptance at a post secondary program in the coming year. The recipient this year was Julie Gagnon.

Julie has been a member of Blaze for 4 years, and has been awarded both the Spirit Award and the Most Valuable Player Award for  her efforts on those teams.  This year she was named as a “Blaze Player of the Week” for her leadership in her secondary school, Jean Vanier, and was the Captain of the 18U Blaze team over the past season.   Off the court, Julie has taken part in the many community activities that Blaze is involved in, has officiated in the Ontario Volleyball Tournaments hosted by Blaze and has been a camp counsellor for the last two years at the Blaze Summer Camp.

As a power hitter on her secondary school team, Julie has led her team to the city championship, the SOSSA Championships in 2007 and 2008 and qualified for OFSAA in 2009.  She has coached the boys Junior Team in her school, and has acted as a referee for the midget team tournaments.

Achieving an 92% average in her grade 12 year, Julie has accepted a position in the Medical Radiation Sciences program at McMaster University, and hopes to continue to play volleyball at the varsity level.

Irene Prime
Administrative Director, Burlington Blaze Volleyball Club

Stewart hits against China during the third day of competition at the World Sitting Volleyball Championships in Edmond, Okla., on Tuesday, July 13. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

Greg Stewart is impossible to miss.

There’s the shaggy mohawk. There’s the prosthetic arm. But really, those things aren’t what you notice first about the Canadian competing this week at the sitting volleyball world championships.
He stands out when he stands up.

Stewart is 7-foot-2.

Even in a sport where everyone has to keep their keister on the floor, that height makes him a big deal. His head nearly reaches the top of the net, which is a little over three and a half feet tall. His arms extend a couple feet over the net.

There are other big guys playing in the tournament at the University of Central Oklahoma, but none are any more physically intimidating than Stewart.
“You’ve got to feed off it,” he said.
He pounds spikes. He blocks shots. More than anything, he changes what opponents do just because he’s so big.

Stewart, who was born with only half of his left arm, has always been tall. When he started playing adaptive sports as a 15-year-old, he was already 6-foot-8.
“I was skinny, though,” he said in his deep baritone voice. “Whew.”

He shook his head.

“I was like 6-8, 170 pounds.”

No longer a beanpole, Stewart now weighs 290 pounds and has a thick upper body. He smashed a spike off an opponent earlier in the week — unintentionally, mind you — and the ricochet almost hit the rafters.

Get the full story newsok.com

Come out and cheer on Team Ontario!

The Men’s National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC) will be taking place from Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25 at University of Toronto’s Varsity Arena. These elite 18U/19U athletes trained for seven tough days in July to represent Ontario at this feature event. Take this opportunity to see Canada’s future male volleyball stars from Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The Provincial Team program has traditionally been the final stage of the OVA Elite Development Model.  The Provincial Team program affords the highest level of volleyball training and competition for young Ontario players and acts as a stepping-stone and development vehicle towards top-level College/University play and National Team opportunities.

Volunteers Still Needed: Volunteer scorekeepers and lines people are still needed for all the days Friday July 23 to Sunday July 25. You do not have to work the whole event or even a whole day. Gather a group of friends and get inspired to take this opportunity to work volunteer hours and still see some great volleyball.
Those interested in volunteering please contact Ryan Johnson at rjohnson@ontariovolleyball.org.

More volunteer shift info

Our Team Ontario:
Zach Doherty, 
T.J. Sanders, 
Robert Wojcik, 
Jori Mantha, 
Alexander Dawson, Scott Wilson, Alexander Elliot, Gabriel Aaron, 
Stephen Holmes, Austin Smith, 
Hamza Chaurdry, Tyler Scheerhoorn, Marc Wilson, Michael Tomlinson, 
Ben Nikkel, 
Phil James, 
Patrick Strzalkowski, 
Phillip Goyer, 
Jeremie Lortie, 
Ray Szeto. Training players: Stephen Maar, Bruno Lortie, Tim Warnholtz and Patrick Goulet

Chin Yang is six-foot-two with an athletic build. As a teenager in his native China, he was much taller than the average Chinese male, but still he had to work hard to get selected for the country’s national volleyball team.

“I had to prove myself with tricks and skills to get onto the team because I was not tall enough to make it (otherwise)!” chuckles Yang. “Those days it was a little more easy. If I had to try now … hmm … I don’t stand a chance!”

While playing pro volleyball may no longer be on his agenda, reaching a goal he sets his mind to never seems to be a problem for Yang; that’s clear when you look at his many achievements since arriving in Canada 20 years ago, leaving all that he had attained on the court and off back home. “I left China because of the Tiananmen Square incident … I didn’t like the way the government behaved,” he says, still upset about the 1989 massacre of thousands of protesters in Beijing.

…In the process of building Canuck Sports Stuff (Toronto) Inc., Yang has also stimulated the volleyball playing community in Toronto and neighbouring cities, with help from his business associate, Mark Heese, a bronze medalist in beach volleyball at the Atlanta Olympics (1996). Dubbed as the largest volleyball equipment retail store, Canuck Stuff, as it is popularly known, also sponsors many players.

Get the full story canadianimmigrant.ca

Gloria Elayadathusseril

The 2010 Coors Light Super-Spike will be returning for its much anticipated ninth annual event this July 23rd and 24th at Maple Grove Rugby Park, Winnipeg. Super-Spike, which has become one of Winnipeg’s can’t miss festival events of the summer, combines Manitoba’s largest outdoor beach volleyball tournament with a weekend long concert series.

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