Bronze for 15U Red at Petawawa Provincials

Durham Attack U15 Red made the long trek to Petawawa for the Tier 2 provincial tournament on March 29/30. (We’re talking 5 hours long!!) However, the weather cooperated, the drive was scenic and the tournament facility outstanding.

Special congratulations are extended to Jess Bartle who was awarded the 2008 U15 Award of Excellence at the tournament. Jess has exhibited unwavering commitment to the team, improving her skills and being a true team player.

Pool Play

Attack Red faced MAC, (Hamilton’s Mountain Athletic Club) in the first match of the tournament. Durham took the first game easily 25-12. The second game saw MAC come alive and Attack’s focus wavered, resulting in a 17-25 loss. The coaches helped the team regain their confidence and U15 Red played a tight game to win the tie breaker 15-13 and take the match.

Match 2 pitted U15 Red against the K-W Predators. In game 1, Attack started out strong, but had a string of errors mid-game. The team pulled it together to close the gap, but couldn’t quite catch up, losing 21-25. Game 2 was very exciting. Attack struggled with errors early in the game, but refused to give up the lead. There were some endless rallies with Attack showing incredible determination. Through superior play, Durham took game 2 with a score of 25-21. The tie breaker was a struggle from the beginning with the Predators playing extremely well. U15 Red trailed to a final score of 10-15. Attack lost the match, but the teams were well matched and the crowd enjoyed some excellent volleyball.

Match 3 was against the Aurora Storm. Attack lost their momentum in game one, handing it to the Storm 21-25. Attack fought back to an exciting victory in the next game, 25-23 and went on to shine in the tie breaker, 15-8. We finished Pool Play at a 2 and 1, good for second place.

Cross-Over

The final match of the day was the all-important cross over and was against the North Bay Storm. Attack was in fine form and won 25-16, 26-16. It was great to see the team working so well together, serving brilliantly, and making difficult plays. Spirits were high as the Attack gang headed off for a fun evening in Pembroke!

Play-offs

Sunday morning the team was raring to go. Our quarter-final match was against the hard hitting Toronto Aces. The two teams were very competitive and the match was great! Attack Red played a tight first game to take it 25-21. The Aces fought back in game 2 keeping Durham under pressure the entire game, and forcing a 17-25 loss. The tie breaker was wonderful to watch as Durham Attack rose to the occasion and played their best against a worthy adversary. They took the match 15-10.

Durham Attack demonstrated the strength and depth of our club as Attack Black 14U faced Attack Red 15U in the semi-final match. Both teams played hard, with Red taking the first game 25-20. Game 2 was a challenge for Red, as Black pushed their advantage to a 18-25 win. The tie breaker was a hard fought game, with both teams playing well. Black ultimately took the match 11-15.

It was off to the bronze medal match against Toronto West. This match seemed to go on forever. Every single point was hard won. Both teams played admirably, but Attack Red prevailed to take the match 25-23, 22-25 and 15-11.

Attack Red was thrilled to medal in the provincials. This bronze medal reflects the results of hard work, athletic excellence and commitment. The team demonstrated sportsmanship and character in their support of Attack U14 Black.

Congratulations girls on a great season! Look out Moncton!!!

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