Quote from Coach Andrew: “Not only did we see some of the best volleyball that we had seen all year from our competition, but we also played the best volleyball that we have played all year.”
Entering the tournament as the 19th seed in Division 2, situated in Tier 2, the 18U squad knew that they had the goal to improve their position and finishing in Tier 1 of the Division, where they belonged.
On Day 1 of the tournament, the Tornadoes were the highest seed in their pool and finished accordingly. The team had to dig deep to play these tough teams but eventually took care of business and finished first in their Pool with a match record of 3-0 and a set record of 6-2.
W vs PVC Flame (30): 25-23, 25-19
W vs Lakeside Upanga (27): 27-25, 25-27, 15-13
W vs Kingston Rock VC – Richard (22): 20-25, 25-21, 18-16
With this match record, the team moved up to a higher power pool destined for Tier 1.
On Day 2, the Tornadoes entered their pool as the lowest seed of the teams but this ranking did not distract the team from their goals. The team had a strong start in their first match against Niagara Rapids Vortex (10) and thanks to strong serving and a relentless defense, the team was able to take the match (25-22, 25-18). Their next match was against a strong team from Sudbury, Northern Chill Avalanche (11). After a back-and-forth, point-for-point first set that saw the Tornadoes coming up just short (27-29), the team kept their fighting spirit but lost to the strong serving of their opponents, eventually losing that set (14-25). Going into their last match, the team was determined to finish strong. The team were able to dig deep and played a very disciplined game and secured their 2nd place finish in the pool after defeating 41Six Red (18) in 2 straight sets (25-21, 25-19).
W vs Niagara Rapids Vortex (10): 25-22, 25-18
L vs Northern Chill Avalanche (11): 27-29, 14-25
W vs 41Six Red (18): 25-21, 25-19
With their 2-1 match record and 4-2 set record, the Tornadoes left their Power Pool in 2nd place, secured their spot in Tier 1, and were the 11th seed moving into Day 3.
On the final Day, the team had an early start at 7:30 AM playing against Smash Raiders Force (6). Knowing the other team was neither team was going to go down without a fight, the team started very strong and played a determined defensive game and took the first set (27-25). Their opponents came out strong in the 2nd set, matching our discipline and drive and eventually took the set (19-25). Going into Set 3, both teams left it all on the court, but it was the Smash Raiders that came out victorious and who advanced in the tournament after defeating the Brant squad (8-15).
