Northern Chill Volleyball Club teams do not enjoy home court advantage very often - which is not to say the local girls are not above trying to make the most of those rare chances when the opportunities arise.
Hosting Bugarski Cup – Championship “D” action last month at St Benedict Catholic Secondary School, the Chill 14U Black crew did not drop a single set in claiming gold right in their own backyard.
That impressive stretch kicked off in the morning, with back to back victories over the Vision Volleyball 13U from North Bay (25-19, 25-18) and the Georgian Cubs – Red from Barrie (25-15, 25-16).
More of the same after lunch as the Chill sweep past the West Nipissing Wild in quarter final play (25-23, 25-12), advancing to a gold medal match with a 25-18, 25-9 win over the Venom Cobras from Richmond Hill.
Matched against their equally-aged counterparts from Vision Volleyball, the Sudbury reps closed off the day in style, registering back to back 25-19, 25-19 set triumphs. “The first game went to about 15-15 before we started to pull away with more balanced and efficient attacks,” noted Chill head coach Vanessa Chorkaway.
“Erin Wiseman ran a smooth offense, ensuring the ball was being distributed to all attackers, while also making smart decisions on setting the “hot hand” when needed. Kayla Presley has shown huge improvement in understanding the role of the middle attacker,” Chorkaway continued. “On defence, she continues to throw herself around, keeping the ball in play and making some impressive digs.”
“Grace Perrier would go on ace streaks of four to five balls, serving teams out of games. Opponents couldn’t control her low, float serve, and she’s a huge blocking presence at the net.” Rounding out the U14 Chill Black lineup this year are Emma Coutu, Sophie Gaffney, Brianne Perreault, Mackenzie Selk, Rory Frantz, Alexa Gordon, Haven Fournier, Alexia Lemay-Evans, Hayley Bertrand and assistant coach Stacy Carter.
