KNIGHTS VC - A BRONZE START TO A BIG TOUR

A Bronze Start to a Big Tour

February 27, 2010 - Various Locations

On Friday, February 12, 2010 the Knights VC 17U Girls team packed up and got ready to head out to the OVA Challenge Cup tournament in Barrie, ON, and then continue on a tour of 3 NCAA Division I universities in the United States.

The team arrived in Barrie, ON to compete on Saturday, February 13 for the OVA Challenge Cup. The team began the tournament with a match against the Ottawa Maverick Blackjacks. The team got out in front and stayed there to win the first set. The second set was a nail biter that ended up in the Knights favour, as they won the match in straight sets. The second match of the day saw the Knights face the host Barrie Elites. The girls struggled to pass the ball from serve receive against the Elites, and this lead to poor ball control. It wasn’t long until the Elites defeated the Knights 2-0. The last match of pool play was against Interclub. This match was quick and easy for the Knights. They dominated their opponent from start to finish in winning 2-0. The Knights finished second in their pool heading to the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-finals, the Knights faced another Interclub team. The Knights were prepared and pumped to play this match as they jumped all over Interclub. It was an absolutely amazing performance from the Knights. They moved onto the semi-finals by defeating Interclub handily in straight sets. This set the stage for the semi-finals against a very tall DRVC team. The Knights and Rebels traded points all the way to 21. It was then that the Knights gave up a pivotal mini-run and dropped the set 23-25. DRVC capitalized on this momentum and went on to win the match and advance to the final while the Knights were forced to play for bronze against a very tough Durham Attack Black team from Oshawa.

This was a battle of wills. The Knights girls were in superior condition, as they outworked their opponent throughout the match. They pushed the tempo and ensured that they took advantage of the very fatigued Durham Attack Black team. In the end, the Knights finished with a bronze medal and moved up in the Ontario Volleyball Association’s Provincial Rankings. There was not much time to celebrate though, as the team needed to pack up and drive to Syracuse, NY. This was the half way point to the team’s first destination of New York, NY. The team arrived in Syracuse at approximately 12:30am.

After a good night’s sleep, the team piled into the vehicles and headed to New York City. A long drive that was met with elation as the girls had time to head downtown and do some shopping. After an interesting subway ride, a few hours shopping, and some hot dogs the team headed to Times Square for some photos and sightseeing. The team had a great evening and headed back to the hotel for the first of three crucial NCAA Division I university stops.

Monday morning saw the Knights 17U Girls arrive at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. Head Coach Kris Zeiter met up with the team at Regan Athletic Centre to guide the team around the facility. After a nice tour of the athletics department, the Knights were linked up with two of the university volleyball team athletes for a quick campus tour. The girls were brought around campus and got to see what life would be like as a freshman at Seton Hall. Returning to Regan Athletic Centre, the team gathered to listen to Seton Hall Volleyball’s academic adviser and spoke to Kris Zeiter about recruiting. The team then took a break to study and eat, and then returned to Seton Hall for a pressure filled practice. With recruiting staff observing, the Knights displayed their abilities for potential scholarship opportunities. Once completed, a few players were informed about Seton Hall being seriously interested in recruiting them.

After the team finished up at Seton Hall, they headed back to their hotel and slept before the morning travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was the next stop of the tour for the Knights, as they were to meet up with Villanova Head Coach Joshua Steinbach. Coach Steinbach gathered the girls for an informal Q & A period and brought in two of his athletes to give a different perspective of what life is like a Villanova. The next part of the tour was a practice observation and a quick stop at the bookstore. With the Villanova stop completed, the team was going to get yet another practice in front of a college scout. This practice did not go as well as Seton Hall, but it still put a few of our players on the Villanova Radar.

The team then headed back to the hotel and travelled to Washington, D.C. for the final stop of the tour. Wednesday was an off day, so the team headed to the Mall in Columbia, Maryland, and then to the George Washington men’s basketball game that night. The girls enjoyed the game and the Washington Metro, as they used it to travel around the city. A quick rest at our worst hotel by far, the girls were up and off to observe the George Washington University practice. The team also had a question and answer with Head Coach Jojit Coronel following the practice. The girls enjoyed the tour at GW and then proceeded to tour Washington and the beautiful buildings and monuments. They didn’t get to see Obama, but the Dalai Llama went by them as they walked back to the vehicles.

The last portion of the tour was a scrimmage with Metro American Volleyball Club’s 18-1 team. The practice facility and manner was much different than our athletes were used to, but they still battled the older and more experienced team. In front of four different recruiters, the Knights fell to Metro and did not play their best. Let’s hope that the scouts picked out some positive things from the athletes, and contact them in the future.

After a long 10 hours of driving, the team arrived home in the late evening Friday, February 19, 2010. A great week that began with a medal at a very tough tournament, our athletes getting educated in being recruited and accepted into the NCAA, and some of our athletes being identified for potential scholarships. What a great week, and I hope that Pembroke, Petawawa, and the surrounding area realize how talented our athletes in the Knights Volleyball Club are, as they are recognized among the best in North America.

GO KNIGHTS GO !