The North Bay Youth Volleyball Club - Lakers Tsunami 17U team captured the Gold Medal at the Ontario Volleyball Association Bugarski Cup this past weekend.The team braved the impending snowstorm and played in Barrie, Ontario as part of the Trillium F Division.
The Lakers were ranked second going into the tournament and finished first in the morning pool after only playing one team to five sets. The other team from their pool did not attend due to the weather. This led them to a bye in the crossover game and a quarter-final win against Bluewater Ballistix (Southwestern Ontario) 2-0 (25-23, 25-14).
Next up was the semi-final game against the Thundercat Legends (Richmond Hill); a tough defensive team they have met in the past and never defeated. This game went three sets with the Lakers coming out on top after dropping the first set (19-25, 25-22, 15-12). This win led them to the gold medal match against Leaside Fury (North York), another team they had never beaten. The final game did not disappoint in terms of long exciting rallies, strong defense, and aggressive offense. The Lakers won in 3 sets (25-20, 18-25, 15-6).
The team’s success this weekend is due largely to excellent teamwork, hustle on the court, and the fact that this was the first tournament where the entire team was uninjured, healthy, and ready to play hard.
“We are happy with the progress that we’re making and it’s awesome to see systems we practice actualized on the court," said the Coaching team of Andy an Chris Davis.
"Morale was up all day and the tournament saw hard work, grit, and heart from all players to bring home the gold!”
This win places Lakers Tsunami at 79th in OVA rankings.
Next up is Ontario Championships at the end of April.
Team members: Back row, left to right: Andy Davis (coach), Grace Way-White, Alexa Bouchard, Abbey Mason, Kalynn Levac, Isabelle Ranger, Chris Davis (coach). Front Row, left to right: Kendra Rochefort, Asia Luca, Megan Braceland, Paige Davis.
