With high hopes after the 2005 edition of the Hawks won 14U Tier 1
Bronze last year in Antigonish, our Red Hawks had their sights set
on a strong finish at this years Nationals. And they did not
disappoint.
Day
One worked out as well we could have hoped. A very strong
second in our pool avoided a Nationals rematch with Attack Black
that occurred last year. The Hawks dispatched Antigonish
Thunder Storm and avenged their provincials loss to Etobicoke
Titans without too much drama. The match of the day was
against Celtiques Rouge, a scrappy Montreal team. Hawks were
this close to taking the match in set 2, but Celtiques prevailed
23-25, 27-25, 15-12. As fate would have it a win would have
matched us up with Attack Black the following morning.
Saturday in the power pools was another one of those days that
have plagued us now and again this season. While there
appeared to be some pretty easy power pools ours definitely was
not one of them. Hawks got off to a slow start and dropped
matches to Toronto West and Oakville, teams they had the ability
to beat. They pulled it back together to win a tough but
solid three set match against Montreal Aigles to end the day.
With a three-way tie in our power pool, just one more point
against Toronto West earlier in the day would have won one more
game that would have put us in Tier 1. The Hawks were
heartbroken to fall short of their goal.
Our
coaching staff of Barry, Karen and Michael Johnson worked their
magic on the girls and got them focused on the next best thing -
bringing home Tier 2 Gold. The result was near perfect
volleyball on Sunday. Hawks warmed up by sending our
cross-town rivals DRVC home on the bus in two games. Next
the loudest match of the day, against local favourites Fredericton
Red Thunder, a team (gulp) bigger than our own Hawks, who are no
slouches, and with a strong defense led by a superb libero.
Hawks bettered them in every category and played great volleyball,
taking the match in two hard fought games 25-23, 25-21. On
to the gold medal game against the Aigles whom the Hawks had
beaten in three the day before. This time the Hawks came out
hitting with authority, owned the net and played superb defense.
Hawks took the final 25-21, 25-14.
Hawks we're very proud of you!!! After a difficult start to
the year that put you in the zones, you showed us what you are
made of. You climbed a rung up the ladder with every
tournament to finish in OVA 15U tier 1, 16U tier 2, and capped it
off with National Gold.
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