Lockerby volleyball off to OFSAA

BY SCOTT HADDOW

The Lockerby senior boys' volleyball team is just slightly ahead of their time.

The team recently won the AAA NOSSA crown by disposing of St. Charles in the final two sets to one.

This paved the way for the squad to go to the 2007 AAA OFSAA championship, which starts today in Toronto.

The Vikings play Chatham-Kent at 10:30 am, Winston Churchill at 4:30 pm and Assumption at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, they play Upper Canada at 9:30 am. The medal round starts at 11 am. Fans can follow Lockerby's progress on the tournament website - www.ofsaa.on.ca/boysaaavolleyball .

Lockerby isn't ranked, and the team knows they have their work cut out for them as they take on the best the province has to offer.

The team potentially only loses one player to graduation this season, so they will have a powerhouse in the making for 2008.

The team is staying grounded and isn't raising lofty expectations for the OFSAA event.

"All the guys are excited to go and it will be a great learning experience for them because they're young," head coach Stephen Beausoleil said. "It's great they get the opportunity to see what the next level is all about and what it will take for them to be competitive. With the exception of one player, all the guys are back next year, so the OFSAA experience will be a big benefit for them for next year."

Lockerby is a cohesive unit who, despite losing in the playoffs during the city championships, bounced back to take the NOSSA title.

"They're ready for OFSAA...they have the potential to do well, but I don't know if they will be a top team," Beausoleil said. "Our primary focus is to be ready for next year...they will be a contender for sure. They all have their roles and do their key jobs every game. Each player makes the effort to contribute each practice and game. They're always ready to go...ready to compete."

The players are anxious to test their mettle at OFSAA. "It's exciting," Chris Holden said. "It means everything to us to go to OFSAA...the experience is going to be tremendous. I don't know what to expect, but I do expect everyone to keep working hard at OFSAA no matter what. We're looking to win a few games."

The Vikings will be on the defensive at OFSAA and are still riding tall in the saddle after taking NOSSA.

"Winning NOSSA was a huge boost for us," Michael Hachey said. "We gained some momentum. We're a tight group and we need to keep playing strong defence at OFSAA to have some success. We're pumped for it."