Bringing together ten teenage(ish) girls, few if any of whom have more than one year of volleyball experience to lean upon, all of whom had seen their outlet for competitive sport severely curtailed thanks to Covid-19, perfection would be far too lofty a goal to target.
To a player, the collection of talent that comprised the 2022-2023 Alliance St-Joseph Lynx Grade 7/8 girls volleyball team would suggest that there is still incredible growth to be made in a sport that they have embraced as a unit.
Yet in terms of results, perfection it was. The team did not drop a single set all season, taking on challengers from all four school boards in the city and capturing five tournament/league banners in all, including the CSCNO (Conseil Scolaire Catholique Nouvelon) crown.
“I’ve never had 10 girls so eager to learn and get better,” said Coach Francine Bélanger St-Jean. “This team had an amazing chemistry and work ethic. They encouraged each other like I’ve never seen before.”
The tone was set early, in the very first tournament, if you ask outside hitter Marissa MacLean.
“We had a lot of good games, but one of my favourites was our very first game,” said the 13 year-old Grade 8 student. “We really didn’t know what we were doing but we still managed to win. I remember our whole team running onto the court and hugging and stuff.”
The notion of the Lynx “not knowing what they were doing” sure didn’t last long.
Thanks to the boundless energy and efforts of their head coach and the dedication of the young players under her watch, the learning curve was so steep as to be nearly vertical. That was apparent to all players on hand, including those who were supplementing their school practices by jumping head first into the club volleyball scene at almost exactly the same time.
“We trust each other on the court – and trust each other a lot,” said Josslyne Ouellette, a member of the U14 Northern Chill Blue Cyclones. “If someone faults, we don’t bash at each other. We trust that we will get it back.”
“I think we have a really good connection between all of us,” added Marissa MacLean. “It’s really easy to bond.”
By the time this crew was walking away as tournament champions at Collège Notre-Dame and CVDCS (Chelmsford Valley District Composite School), at École secondaire Hanmer and Bishop Carter Catholic Secondary School, the bar had clearly been raised, the team now mimicking some of the strategy that is more commonly seen in OVA club competition.
“Our girls knew how to pass and set, and most of us knew how to hit,” said Marissa. “It was really just learning the rotations. Front-court rotations were hard for us to adjust to at first. It was complicated and felt like we were all messed up. But once we got it, it was super easy for everyone.”
Time and time again, the ASJ Lynx would find themselves in the biggest of games against their favourite competition: the Félix-Ricard Jaguars.
“They were always our toughest opponent,” said Ouellette. “We are always so happy when we beat them. They could do three plays (pass, set, smash), which a lot of other teams wouldn’t do.”
And thanks in large part to the progress shown by setters Dalia Bélanger and Adria Montpellier, the Lynx were able to showcase “in-system” volleyball at multiple times as well.
“Having setters that I can rely on was just so much better for me,” Marissa said.
The net beneficiary of both the volleyball excellence and excitement at the next level stands to be the Champlain Requins, with signs pointing to the entirety of the Lynx roster making their way just down the street in Chelmsford as they begin their high-school careers in the fall.
In the meantime, Francine Bélanger St-Jean is more than thankful for the chance to enjoy a season that came together like very few ever do.
“It was a pleasure coaching them and seeing them achieve amazing results,” she said.
Surely, that’s the end product of striving for perfection.
The remainder of the Alliance St-Joseph Lynx team includes Arissa Bartlett, Emma Fidler, Sophie Blais, Hillary Gallinger, Elizabeth Meilleur and Alexie Paquette.
Randy Pascal is a sportswriter in Greater Sudbury. Pursuit is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
