Attack Finish 7-2 at 16U Nationals in Calgary

The 16U Black team traveled to Calgary Alberta to compete at the 16U Nationals.

Day One

Day 1 the girls put up a 3-0 record and claimed first place in their pool. They were able to defeat the Winnipeg Bisons 25-23, 25-20. CVC RADZ from Regina were up next and we were able to put an offensive display, defeating them 25-12, 26-24. The final match of the day saw the Attack pound the Kaboom from Port Moody 25-20, 25-10.

Day Two

Day 2 saw the Attack matched up with two familiar Ontario teams as well as a very big team the STORM. In the first match of the power pools we were up against the Caps from Ottawa who seemed to give us trouble all year. We were very strong offensively but the CAPS dug up and blocked everything we threw at them, and managed to defeat us 21-25. What followed was the most impressive performance of the season as we were able to defeat the Caps in the next two sets 25-8, 15-7.

Up next (bronze medal winners) the Brandon Storm. We had just watched them defeat the Titans rather quickly so we knew we were up against a very strong team. As a coach all you can hope for is that your team performs on the big stage, and the 16U Attack girls performed. They were able to defeat the huge team from Brandon 25-19, 26-24.

Then it happened… We lost to the Scarborough Titans in two straight games giving us a three way tie for first place. After the tie was broken we were placed 3rd and the hopes of a Gold medal were gone after a very respectable 5-1 record.

Day Three

Day 3 saw a different side of the girls. Heart-broken after a very tough Day 2 the girls showed us that they still had some fight left in them. After dropping the first set to a small but very exciting team West Rage, the girls were inspired by our libero Chelsea Hazlewood who gave a powerful speech in between sets and went on to play great on the floor to lead Attack to a 19-25, 29-27, 15-8 Victory.

In the Tier 2 Semi Final the girls dominated from start to finish to defeat the AIR ATTACK 25-8, 25-17.

In the Final the girls were up against yet another Ontario rival, the South County Bandits. The Bandits just wanted the gold a little more as they were able to come back in both sets to defeat us 24-26, 24-26.

So a 7-2 record in 2008 is good enough for 10th Place in Canada. Just to put into perspective how well the girls did - they had a better record than the Bronze Medal winners, the Brandon Storm who finished 6-3.

A Season in Retrospect

To sum up our season I think it was a learning experience for everyone. For myself I was fortunate to work with great athletes who at any given day can beat anyone in the Province and the Nation! This team was a treat to watch when they were on a roll.

Sarah Gilbride was fantastic for us this season. She is one of the toughest players I have had the pleasure of coaching, and can run the offence under the most pressured situations.
Taylor Warman was someone who made a difference for the Attack every time she entered the game. She is a quiet person with a great work ethic and can be relied upon to play great defence and offence.
Kayla Donahue was great for us this season from the right side. Kayla is a person who will succeed in life at whatever she decides to do. She is an aggressive athlete who can dominate a game offensively.
Victoria Young is one of the strongest athletes I have worked with. Blessed with a powerful hit, and rocket serve, Victoria is also a great defender who had some amazing digs at the Nationals.
Molly Shannon is someone that has every tool for a volleyball player. She is tall, has great hands and had to play multiple positions for us this year, and had a great Nationals playing middle.
Taylor Kuchma provided us with a great block and ran the middle very well this season. She developed a great serve that scored us many points.
We really missed Tara Roberts on the floor at Nationals as she was unable to participate due to an injury, but she was there cheering on the girls from start to finish. Although undersized in the middle, Tara came up with some of the biggest blocks I have seen at this age level.
As mentioned above Chelsea Hazlewood has one of the biggest hearts of any athlete in our club. Her defence is amazing and she is a natural leader. When she was on there was nothing that touched the floor; a pleasure to coach.
Dani Vortisch is an amazing athlete with big-time ups. She can dominate offensively and is just as good in the back row. A very dedicated athlete was a treat to watch as she could out jump some of the biggest opponents in the Province.
Amy McGrath is quite possibly the smartest hitter I have had the pleasure of coaching. She can cut the ball better than most, and if you give her the line she’ll slam it down with the best of them. Defensively she is great and had one of our most amazing digs at Nationals that led to a Match Point.

Thank-you girls for making this season an enjoyable one. You are all very special people who will succeed at what ever you choose to do. As a father of two young daughters I can only dream my girls follow in your foot steps.

Thank-you and God Bless.

All photos...