OVA News

The Nipissing Lady Lakers are taking their game to Tampa Bay over the holiday break to participate in the McMaster Invitational Tournament taking place in Tampa Bay, Florida from December 28th to December 31st, 2011.

The tournament features York University, McMaster University, the University of Manitoba, Universite de Moncton, Humber College and Nipissing University.

The tournament format includes two divisions of three teams with the Lady Lakers scheduled to play York University, Humber College and McMaster University. The teams will then be placed in a playoff format based on results. The teams also have various training seasons planned throughout the week.

“As a team we are always looking for opportunities and challenges to get better and this will certainly be a very good test for us,” said head coach Marc LaRochelle.

The Lady Lakers have an 8-1 regular season record and are ranked 2nd in the OCAA and 11th nationally.

The team will return to regular season play January 21/22, 2012 when they host Redeemer and Humber.

Story submitted by Marc LaRochelle for Nipissing University | nulakers.ca

On the evening prior to their first OVA tournament appearance of 2011, the Northern Chill 18U volleyball team assembled for a team meeting in the hotel room of Head Coach Mike Margarit.  Like any tournament beforehand, the purpose of these meetings typically revolves around the discussion of goals, strategies, and preparation for the following day.  This meeting though, was slightly different.

“We took caribiners (mountain climbing clips) and customized them to represent each of our personalities. Each clip is unique.  When we join them together, they symbolize our unity”, explained Middle Blocker Nicole Collard.

While each player is responsible for their bauble away from the court, prior to tournaments the team joins the clips to remind themselves of the importance of that unity.  That bond was on display this past weekend as the 18U girls competed in the Provincial Cup in Barrie.

Ranked fourth coming into the day, Chill fired on all cylinders with an early round victory over the Georgian Cubs (25-16, 25-17).  Thundering offensive displays from Collard and Outside Hitter Allison Larsen, Chill overcame their opposition with ease.  The second match of the day pitted the girls against the Port Perry Panthers.  Strong serving from Middle Blocker Kailey Bastien and expertly placed sets by Setter Liandra Hunt steered the team to a 25-19 set win.  Despite a point-for-point exchange in the first half of the next set, the girls settled down and easily put away the Panthers 25-12.

The final match of the round robin had all the makings of a classic, with Chill taking on the top-ranked Kingston Pegasus.  Despite their opponents jumping out to an early first set lead, Chill refused to back down.  Key bone-rattling blocks by Collard and Right Side Hitter Tamara McNair, turned the momentum in the Sudbury team’s favour.  As the back-and-forth set continued on, a larger crowd started to form, watching what many could say was an epic effort from both teams.  With first place in the pool on the line, the teams took the first set to the limit, exchanging salvos in a fury of digs, spikes, and seemingly impossible saves.  Down 21-23, Coach Margarit called a time-out to calm his troops amidst the increasing hum of crowd noise.  Collected and composed, Chill put the wraps on perhaps their finest performance of the season to date, eclipsing their opponents 27-25.

The second set was equally special with both teams picking up where the last set left off.  A furious exchange of power and finesse plays saw the teams draw even at 23 points apiece, only for Pegasus to pull ahead and take the set 25-23.

With a gym that was abuzz with emotion and crowd energy, Chill walked off the court to plan for their first play-off match against the Northumberland Breakers (Cobourg); the lofty heights of Premier Division volleyball within sight.  The Breakers, a familiar foe over the years, were riding emotion and momentum of their own and carried it to an energy-draining 27-25 and 25-23 win.

Despite the disappointment of the loss, the true character of this team surfaced near the end of the match when one their own was pulled from the court due to illness.  In a selfless act, McNair offered to play in an unfamiliar role, in a re-match against the Port Perry Panthers.  With survival in the division on the line, the girls ably handled their opponent 25-14, 25-10.

Not unlike the clips they made the night prior, Chill once again demonstrated that they are strongest when joined together, further emphasizing the bond that so strongly underlines the spirit of this team.
The 18U team continues their season in the new year, with the Challenge Cup.

Story submitted by the Northern Chill.

Canada will be in group B with world number-one Brazil, Poland and Finland as the groupings for the 16-country World League men’s volleyball tournament were announced today by the FIVB (Volleyball’s International Federation).

The World League will be part of an important and busy 2012 season for the Canadian squad, ranked 19th in the world, which is also looking to land a spot in the Olympic Games. This is Canada’s first appearance in World League play since 2007.

“We are very happy to get back into the World League,” said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que.  “At this point of the development of our program, we need to play great teams such as Brazil, Poland and Finland.  Our staff and players will benefit from this learning experience. We will compete hard for every point and improve with every match.”

Canada qualified for the World League this past summer with impressive qualifying round series victories over Slovakia and Puerto Rico.

Both Poland, ranked fourth internationally, and Brazil are among the three nations currently qualified for the 2012 London Olympics after recently finishing second and third respectively at the 2011 World Cup in Japan. Finland is currently ranked 27th.

Other pool groupings include the following:

Pool A: Russia, Cuba, Serbia, Japan

Pool C: Italy, USA, France, Korea

Pool D: Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal

The 2012 World League will have a different format from past editions due to the busy international calendar early next summer that also includes several qualification tournaments for the London Olympics. The format will involve each country only hosting one weekend tournament involving the four countries in its pool, over a three-day period, instead of hosting three separate weekend series on home soil as in the past.

The ‘intercontinental round’ will run between May 18 and July 1 with each team still playing a total of 12 matches over the four weekend events. The final six play-off is scheduled for Sofia, Bulgaria from July 4-8.

The final dates and competition calendar for the ‘intercontinental round’, including the hosting dates and location for Canada’s hosted event, will be announced in the early new year.

The prestigious FIVB Volleyball World League, entering its 23rd year, is a 16-country intercontinental tournament that takes place every summer, reaching all corners of the planet, offering worldwide TV coverage and the biggest cash prizes in the sport.

The last time Canada competed in the World League was in 2007 when it placed 13th.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

Halifax will become the first city to host back-to-back FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch Junior World Championships after the sport’s governing body announced that the waterfront town will welcome the world’s best junior players once again in 2012.

The six day tournament will take place from August 28 to September 2 and features a Main Draw of 32 teams for the first time as the competition for players under 21 continues to grow in both size and stature.

The 2011 edition of the tournament was deemed a great success, with over 14,000 fans traveling to the waterfront to take in the action, and those numbers are expected to grow again this year.

“I’m thrilled at having the chance to welcome some of the sports youngest and brightest athletes to Canadian shores yet again,” Volleyball Canada president Hugh Wong said after signing the agreement. “Last year’s event was a new milestone for us as a national federation and we’re obviously hoping to build on that further in 2012. It was so wonderful to see thousands of fans supporting the players in 2011 in what was a highlight for Canadian beach volleyball. I have little doubt that we’ll add to the experience come August next year.”

The FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch Junior World Championships are held annually at beach locations all over the world. Last year’s event was unique, with organizers creating a beach surface featuring 2,000 tonnes of sand as well as a temporary stadium.

Just like last year, Volleyball Canada will partner with Sports & Entertainment Atlantic, and President Derek Martin added that they look to build on last year’s edition.

“Last year’s tournament was a great success in so many ways and the overwhelming support we received from the community encouraged us to bring it back again” he said. “With an estimated economic impact of over $3 million dollars this is the type of International event that benefits all of Nova Scotia and Halifax should take pride in being awarded the unprecedented rights to host it two years in a row.”

FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission secretary Vicente Araujo explained the fact that the Swatch Junior World Championships is returning to Halifax says a lot about how well it was organized last year.

“The 2011 edition of the tournament was magnificent,” he added. “The platform created by both Volleyball Canada and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic for beach volleyball was exactly what we were looking for so I am excited to see how they aim to improve on it in 2012. It has been said many times that these players are the future of the sport and to have this raw talent matched with such a brilliant setting is a positive advert for beach volleyball.”

With sell-outs on the final three days of competition in 2011, the Swatch Junior World Championships were the must-see event in Halifax leading into the Labour Day weekend and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic is already working with government and corporate sponsors to ensure the 2012 event builds on that excitement.

Tickets for the 2012 event will go on sale on December 8, 2011 at 12:00pm Atlantic time through online ticket provider mytix and can be purchased online at www.sandjamhalifax.com or by phone at 902.496.4749. Ticket prices have been kept at the same reasonable prices as in 2011 with a Full Week Centre Court 6-day tournament pass for as low as $60 (plus HST and service fee) and GA tickets for as low as $5 a day. Single day tickets will be available at a later date if available.

Last year over 400 volunteers helped make the tournament a success and if you are interested in helping out at the 2012 event please also visit www.sandjamhalifax.com.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

The Niagara College Knights Women’s Volleyball team lost 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 16-25, and 25-20) to the St. Clair College Saints, while the Knights Men’s team turned the tables on the Saints and won 3-1 (25-20, 15-25, 25-21 and 25-21).

First-year outside hitter Lindsay Murray (Welland, ON) had a strong performance in the loss to the Saints. The Notre Dame graduate had 15 kills, two aces, and a stuffed block for 18 points. She also recorded six digs.

The Knights Men’s team had three players reach double-digits in scoring. Yosef Zaid (Windsor, ON) had a team-high 13 kills, and an ace for 14 points. He also had 12 digs. Cody McLellan (Chatham, ON) had 10 kills, two aces, and a block for 13 points. Millar Galbraith (Georgetown, ON) tallied seven kills, and four blocks for 11 points.

The Women’s team, who are now at the .500 mark with a record of 4-4, are in a three-way tie for 4th place with Sheridan and Redeemer in the OCAA West Region. They will close out the first half of the season on Wednesday, December 7 with a road game against the Mohawk College Mountaineers (2-6). Game time is 6pm.

The Men’s team improved their record to 3-5 and sit alone in 7th place in the OCAA West Region standings. On Wednesday, December 7, they will travel to Hamilton to take on the Mohawk College Mountaineers (5-3). Game time is 8pm.

Story from the Niagara Knights Website.

Samford earned four All-Conference accolades, along with Elizabeth Neisler earning SoCon Player of the Year honors, announced by the league office Wednesday. Along with Neisler, Lauren Hutchinson was named to the All-Conference First Team, Katie Murphy was named All-Conference Second Team and Michaela Reesor was named to the SoCon’s All-Freshman Team.

Elizabeth Neisler has emerged as one of the premiere outside hitters in the conference, currently ranked second in kills with 391, only one kill shy of conference leader Caroline Brown of Davidson. She is only six kills shy of cracking the single-season top ten at Samford, and her career total of 981 currently ranks eighth all-time in school history. She also ranks ninth all-time at Samford in career total attacks with 2,513. Nationally, the Jacksonville, Ala., native 60th in kills per set (3.91) and 64th in points per set (4.38) out of 250 ranked individuals. The junior was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month for October and earned Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 24th.

Lauren Hutchinson currently leads the nation in hitting percentage with .438, ranking either first or second for the majority of the season. She is currently on pace to have the best single-season hitting percentage at Samford by a large margin, as the current record is Kathy Knox’s .354 from 1990. The Kennesaw, Ga., native was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Month for September, after a breakout start to the season hitting .450 to help Samford to a 14-2 record. She also earned Player of the Week honors on Oct. 17.

Samford has now had five All-Conference First Team selections since joining the conference in 2008. Neisler’s Player of the Year honor is the school’s second such honor, as Ashley Adams took home the award in 2008.
Last season’s Freshman of the Year, Katie Murphy, has helped anchor the middle position along with Hutchinson, as she finds herself on this season’s All-Conference Second Team. Murphy and Hutchinson have traded the top two spots in the NCAA leader boards all season, as Murphy now sits in second nationally in hitting percentage with .426. She set a Samford school record early in the season after hitting .846 in the Sept. 9 match against Mercer. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native is third on the team in kills (275) and second in blocks (92).

Samford’s fourth component to its front line has been freshman outside hitter Michaela Reesor, who represents Samford on the SoCon’s All-Freshman Team. The Caledon, Ontario, Canada native has played like a veteran all season, tallying 221 kills and 62 blocks. She has also contributed on defense, earning 220 digs, the third-most on the team behind Samford’s defensive specialists. Reesor has earned three double-doubles this season, all coming in conference play.

The College of Charleston led all schools with three First Team selections and six total selections. UNCG’s Kellie Orewiler was named the Libero of the Year while the Rayna Matea Freshman of the Year Award was given to Charleston’s Sloane White. Western Carolina’s Karen Glover was named the Coach of the Year, after guiding the Catamounts to their first tournament berth since 2007 in her first season.

Samford continues its season this weekend, hosting the 2011 SoCon Volleyball Tournament. Three days of matches begin on Saturday, Nov. 19 with Samford playing in the fourth and final match that day at 7 p.m. against Davidson.

2011 SoCon Volleyball All-Conference Team

All-Conference First Team
Elizabeth Neisler – Samford – Jr. – OH
Lauren Hutchinson – Samford – Jr. – MB
Alison Blasingame – Appalachian State – Sr. – MB
Elyse Chubb – College of Charleston – Sr. – MB
Sarah Havel – College of Charleston – Sr. – MB
Kelly Kirby – Furman – Sr. – RS/S
Kate Van Dyke – Georgia Southern – Jr. – S

All-Conference Second Team
Katie Murphy – Samford – So. – MB
Anna Wagner – Appalachian State – Sr. – OH
Sloane White – College of Charleston – Fr. – MB
Caroline Brown – Davidson – So. – OH
Natalie Braun – Furman – Jr. – OH
Caroline Adams – Furman – Jr. – MB
Bethany Sanford – Georgia Southern – Sr. – OH

All-Freshman Team
Michaela Reesor – Samford – OH
Lizzie Theesfeld – College of Charleston – OH
Sloane White – College of Charleston – MB
Kris Harris – Elon – MB
Chanelle Smith – Elon – OH
Caitlin Piechota – Western Carolina – OH
Jordan Timmermann – Western Carolina – OH<

Player of the Year
Elizabeth Neisler – Samford – Jr. – OH

Rayna Matea Taylor Award (Freshman of the Year)
Sloane White – College of Charleston – MB

Libero of the Year
Kellie Orewiler – UNCG – So.

Coach of the Year
Karen Glover – Western Carolina

Story from SamfordSports.com

Thunder U17 girls have had a busy fall season. This year the U17 girls are the senior team in at the Club and they are taking their leadership role very seriously. The Thunder House League has over 110 girls from ages 11 to 16 years playing each Saturday until December. The U17 girls have offered 2 Volleyball Skills Clinics to the younger teams in the Club and House League systems. In September they had approximately 30 girls come out for an intensive but fun skills clinic. Many of those attending went on to tryouts for Club teams.

In mid November the Skills Clinic was offered again with over 50 girls coming out for the challenge. Several school team coaches also came out to see the Thunder girls in action, passing on their enthusiasm for volleyball, new drills and  some fun to everyone attending . Each session has been very successful with both players and parents expressing their appreciation and asking for more.

The U17 Thunder Girls also met a challenge from a high school coach to play his boy’s team in preparation for their COSSA tournament. The following feedback says it all:

“Jr. Boys were COSSA AAA champs- A special thanks to your girls! I believe our play this week after playing your team put us over the top. We hit every chance we got and won 8 of 9 games to win the Central Ontario final in 2 straight over our nemesis Cobourg West. One of your girls tagged one of our power players in the chest (hardest hit all year) and finally woke them up to play some defense which helped us immensely. The attitude of never die, which they witnessed from your team finally permeated the boys consciousness and was very evident today in the way they played- especially noted by Geoff McKinley our other coach. Geoff also happens to coach the Trent Mens Lacrosse team and he swears Monday night was greatest thing for the boys, Thanks, John Lynch.”

The Peterborough Thunder U17 girls are Maddie Belsey, Maggie Dillon, Victoria Evans, Nicole Gastle, Rhiannon Gilbart, Lauralee Greenlaw, Quinn MacGregor, Morgan McNamee, and Hannah Rose. Thanks to Coaches Russ Coens, Alana McDonald and Farrah Ward.

The Peterborough Thunder U17 Girls are working hard to promote the game they love!

Story submitted by Debra Boyce for the Peterborough Thunder.

The lifecycle of a club volleyball team often reads like this: practice twice a week, participate in conditioning once a week, attend a tournament at the end of it all, and strive to bring everything you’ve been taught to the court in one exhilarating and exhaustive day.  For the Northern Chill 17U Girls volleyball team, this routine of hard work and dedication was put to task as they took to the hardwood last weekend to participate in the season-opening Provincial Cup, held at Eastview Secondary School in Barrie.

Ranked second heading into the day, the girls approached the day much like any other, with one exception – to maintain or better their ranking, with promotion to the Championship Division on the line.

The day started off on a high note with a resounding victory (25-7, 25-8) over the Stingrays ’95 “Rush” (York Region), built on an astounding 14-point serving run by Outside Hitter Indigo Clement.

The second match of the round robin saw Chill take on the Georgian Bay Vista, besting their southern counterparts 25-18 and 25-7.  As with the first match, consistent serving was the key, with outstanding performances from Pascale Lavergne, Meagan Flewelling, Danielle Marshall, and Melina Ralph.  With the win, Chill claimed first in their pool along with a bye to the quarter-finals.

The quarter-final match pitted Chill against the Stingrays ‘95 “Whip” – entertaining the supportive crowd with back-and-forth play and defensive showmanship.  After a difficult first set, won by the Stingrays 26-24, the girls tightened up their defense and took the second set 25-17.  In a “see-saw” third set, Chill dismissed their opponents 15-11, earning a place in the semi-finals.

A medal within reach, and the opportunity to realize the early season goal of promotion, the girls went to task against Eclipse West (Etobicoke).  Facing their strongest opposition of the day, the girls exhausted themselves fighting for points, eventually losing the first set 23-25. Despite pleas and cheers from the travelling supporters, Chill could not find the winning formula and fell in the second set 10-25, eliminating the chance for promotion.

The task to rebuild the momentum and fight for the bronze medal match was left to Head Coach Joanne Castonguay.  Facing another team from Etobicoke – the Titans Black, Coach Castonguay urged her charges to a nail-biting first set win, 26-24.  The encouragement brought back momentum, with Chill dominating the second, and final set, 25-14; thus earning the team third place and the bronze medal.

With the weight of hardware hanging about their necks, the girls are intent on building on the success of this tournament with a repeat performance at the Challenge Cup, held on January 14th.

Story submitted by Robert Cundari for Northern Chill Volleyball Club.

This December, the Ryerson Rams Women’s Volleyball team is traveling to Agua Prieta to work on a philanthropic project with Rancho Feliz, a charitable organization close to the border that works to better the lives of people through education and opportunity. Over the last 20 years, the charity has invested $10 million in donations to construct housing, child care facilities, computer literacy centres, education centres, and student and volunteer dormitories.

While in Mexico, the Ryerson Rams Women’s Volleyball team plans to work on two housing projects, run a volleyball clinic for locals and neighbouring teams, and put together a large Christmastime food distribution, but to get there, they need some help!

Among a number of fundraising methods, the women’s volleyball team is selling calendars for the 2012 year composed of full-colour game shots and individual action photos. They sell for $20 a piece, or $140 for a set of 8, and will be distributed before Christmas. 100% of the proceeds from sales of the calendar will go to supplies for the food distribution in Mexico.

For more information or to order, please contact Heach Coach Dustin Reid at dustin.reid@ryerson.ca.

Ms Pakmen 16U has had a successful first two OVA tournaments.

On November 19th the team competed in the first OVA 16U tournament of the year.  They won their way to the finals where they captured silver. With this finish they are tied for 3rd in overall in Ontario!

On November 26th the team competed in the first 17U tournament and continued their winning ways.  They won their pool beating the eventual tournament champions and only lost their first match of the day in the semi-finals. The team went on to win the bronze medal.

Story submitted by Bob Cholette, for Pakmen Volleyball