It has been quiet the first half-season for the girls of Northern Chill 14U – Black.

A pair of tournament victories has propelled the group into the “Select” classification, with an opportunity to remain among the elite while playing in their home backyard this month.

A season-opening event in Stouffville provided an early fore-shadowing of the potential of this particular collection of talent, as the Chill racked up wins by scores of 25-3, 25-5, 25-6 and 25-8 en route to their gold medal performance.

“Our strongest competition came in the semi-finals when we played the Venom Vipers (from York Region – 25-20, 17-25, 15-7),” noted head coach Denny Chicoine. “We became victorious due to strong accurate serving from newcomer Siobhan Noble-Poland, and a strong net presence from Michelle Scratch.”

The girls garnered some extra experience, taking part in a 15U tournament in Nepean and finishing in the middle of the pack. Making note of the impressive play in the middle from Kameryn Van Wallegham and the offensive contributions of Allison Nordquist, Chicoine suggested that “with every match, this team gets stronger.”

The girls proved that quote to be accurate a few weeks later in Newmarket, returning to their own age bracket and picking up their second championship banner of the year, all while dropping just one set along the way.

Ashley Ruddick (“strong jump serves”) and Annie Simon (“quick and strong on defense”) were among the keys to victory. “The girls exceeded our expectations with a great performance in all areas and proved why they should be playing at the next level,” said Chicoine.

Rounding out the 2018-2019 edition of the Northern Chill 14U - Black roster are Alexie Chicoine, Macy-Taylor Gosselin and Sydney Jokinen.