The Horizon Aigles junior girls volleyball team have withstood the challenge.

After finishing fourth this year in the SDSSAA Junior Division I loop (10 teams) and beating Marymount before being eliminated by the eventual city champs from Lasalle, the Aigles needed to battle one last time with their NOSSA "A" berth on the line Tuesday evening in Val Caron.

Horizon took to the court with the Lively Hawks, Junior Division II champions in a winner take all affair, with one local representative moving on to carry the Sudbury colours at Nipissing University this coming weekend.

The Aigles controlled, more or less, from start to finish, polishing off the Hawks with a 25-18, 25-14, 25-21 triumph, turning to left-side Melanie Pitre frequently with key points on the line.

Head coach Patrick Gervais and his team will now make their way to North Bay for playdown action, which commences on Thursday (February 21st).

Joining the Aigles at Nipissing will be the Elliot Lake Atoms, Algonquin Barons, Northern (Sturgeon Falls) and the White Pines Wolverines from Sault Ste Marie.

In the senior showdown, the Marymount Regals matched the efforts of the Aigles, taking down the Chelmsford Flyers on Tuesday, also in straight sets.

The Regals trailed only the front-running Lockerby Vikings and St Charles College Cardinals in regular season play and will be expected to challenge for an OFSAA berth in the field that also includes the Espanola Spartans, Chippewa Raiders, Algonquin Barons and White Pines Wolverines.

Other NOSSA competition sees Lo-Ellen Park Secondary playing host to the "AA" tournament on February 22nd/23rd, with Sault Ste Marie (Korah Collegiate) welcoming teams for the "AAA" event.