“I have always known that this team had great potential and that it would only be achieved if they played as a team. So, it has been very rewarding to see them play as a unit, have each other’s backs, and to have seen all their hard work pay off at Provincials.” – Coach Andrew
On Day 1 of the tournament, the Tornadoes saw a slow start at the Provincial Championships tournament. Although not the results that they would have liked, the team did not go down without a fight as reflected in the very tight scores from their matches on the first day.
L vs PVC Flares: 22-25, 21-25
L vs Peel Selects Black: 21-25, 28-26, 16-18
L vs Wildcats Jaguars: 20-25, 13-25
With this match record, the team finished 4th in their pool and were reseeded into a pool of 5, meaning they had a long day ahead of them with 4 matches on Day 2.
On Day 2, the Tornadoes arrived determined to play their game, at their highest potential. Looking like a new team, the 17U squad came to ready to play and were able to take of business; they played like a team with a well-rounded game consisting of strong serving from Scarlette and Grace, determined defence from Katie, and the hard-hitting from Kelsea and Kimberlee. Despite having two play 4 matches that day, two of which were back-to-back, the team was able to rally finishing first in their Power Pool with a 4-0 match record and a 8-1 set record. This situated the team in Tier 1 of the =ir Division as they moved into Day 3 of the tournament.
Day 2 Match Results:
W vs EVP Merrigan: 25-8, 25-14
W vs Titans Energy: 14-25, 25-17, 15-11
W vs Pumas: 25-15, 25-20
W vs Ottawa Valley Vikings Fury: 25-17, 25-19
On Day 3, the team was on court ready to go at 8:40 AM playing against Niagara Rapids Ignite. This was a team that the 17U squad team had seen and played during the regular season, so they knew that the other team was not going to go down without a fight; during the 17U McGregor Cup, Brant Tornadoes defeated Niagara Rapids Ignite (25-20, 19-25, 15-10).
The Tornadoes started strong and played a good defensive game resulting in them taking the first set (25-23). Their opponents came out strong in the 2nd set and played an efficient offensive game eventually beating the Tornadoes (21-25). Going into Set 3, the Tornadoes fought back, but it was Rapids squad that came out victorious and who advanced in the tournament after defeating the Tornadoes (5-15).
L vs Niagara Rapids: 25-23, 21-25, 5-15
Although not the way that the team would have liked to finish the tournament, the team had a great tournament and played with an unmatched intensity. Coach Andrew and the Coaching Staff are very happy with their performance over the long 3-day tournament and the level of improvement since the beginning of the season. Way to go, girls!
