Pretty much every week during the winter, I will take a moment to sneak a peek at the OVA (Ontario Volleyball Association) website.

Such is the structure of competitive tournament play within the OVA that I can rest assured, each and every week, that three or four of the different age brackets covering from 12U to 18U, for both boys and girls, will have been in action somewhere across the province.

And with no less than 16 teams representing the Northern Chill Volleyball Club in the OVA ranks, there is also a pretty good bet that I will run across at least one local team who has reached the podium in these one-day showdowns, with many others enjoying very positive showings.

Like most competitive team sports, there is certainly an element of annual turnover within the Chill rosters, though seemingly less so than many other sports. In fact, it’s not all that unusual for a 12 year old to be initiated to the club that was launched from humble beginnings in 2005, with but three teams in their stable at that time, to work their way right through to their high-school graduation.

The pandemic has clearly thrown a wrench into these calculations, but all things being equal, Confederation Secondary senior Ashley Ruddick is, by her count, in her seventh year in the system, closing things off with the 18U Chill Avalanche this season.

In so many ways, the well-spoken young woman who is looking to study Mathematics at either Waterloo or McMaster, sights set on a possible career in Actuarial Sciences, summarizes the appeal that keeps her coming back, every single fall.

“There is something about an atmosphere of being with your friends and playing a sport that you love,” said Ruddick, whose start in the sport in grade three at C.R. Judd Public School in Capreol coincided quite closely with her first Chill tryouts. From a rudimentary understanding of a simple court rotation at 12U and on to years of serving as a setter at the school level, Ruddick has migrated her way on the club scene to the position of libero, one that she embraces for all of the uniqueness that comes with donning a jersey that is dissimilar to all of your teammates.

“You definitely have to understand that even though you are not hitting, you still have to be aggressive towards the ball, diving to get your digs and running down balls to pick them up,” said Ruddick. “It’s a different mindset than someone who is just hitting.”

Yet for as much as Ruddick is a highly driven young athlete, there remains that part of the club experience that will survive the test of time, the first images that will re-appear as she recalls her days of Chill volleyball some fifty years from now.

“I definitely feel that if you do stuff outside of the court, team building exercises and just hanging out as a group, it helps bring everyone together, helps to make everyone feel more involved,” she said. “This year, with a smaller team (nine players), I think we feel really connected. I feel like we really get along.”

Makaio Walia has begun his post-secondary studies, immersed in year one of the Kinesiology program at Laurentian University – yet still he returns to the Chill – for reasons that are akin to the point that Ruddick was already making. “The off-court chemistry, building that friendship with the team is so important,” said the 18 year-old Lasalle Secondary graduate who returned to coach at his old school this year.

“It obviously transfers on-court. As we go to tournaments this year and become even better friends, I find that we play better.”

Having also come through the high-school system as a member of the Lancers family, a team which made very regular trips to OFSAA during his tenure, Walia provides a contrast to what he now sees as the Northern Chill 18U Norsemen take to the road, facing some of the most elite volleyball organizations in the province.

“The level of play in club is insane,” he said. “The intensity of the crowd and the players is a way different level of volleyball.”

With a background as both a libero and a setter, Walia is thrilled to be settling into the latter this year, very much in tune with all of the intricate nuances of the position. “Most of our team isn’t too different, but then there’s Noah (Squires), a taller guy who really jumps high – so I’ve got to adjust my sets for him.”

“With Kyle (Perreault), it’s a little bit lower. I am working on decision-making – knowing who to set, when to set them; taking a look at the blockers, who is on who, where are the mismatches - things like that. And with the different venues, one of the big things to adjust to for me is the lights, looking up as a setter.”

Sixteen years of age and in grade 11 at E.S.C. l’Horizon, Shae St-Onge still has another of club ball that lies ahead. And being part of the Chill 17U Subzero team that broke new ground last spring, it’s a safe bet that there are more memories still to come.

“Provincials last year was crazy, finishing second,” recalled St-Onge, the eldest of two children in the family, recalling the Division I silver medal performance of the 2021-2022 16U girls team – one which takes pre-game preparation quite seriously.

“We will talk about our mindset and stuff,” explained St-Onge. “The night before the tournament, we’ll have a team meeting and talk about expectations, things we need to focus on.”

Looking to duplicate their level of play again this year, the Subzero squad, who will enjoy a rare opportunity to host OVA tournament play at home (Laurentian University) this coming Sunday will have to accentuate their strengths and try and tackle their weaknesses, however small they might be.

“We have a lot of good passers on the team – and we’re also a really good serving team,” said St-Onge. “But our communication on the court needs to be better. We’ve been working on it at our tournaments this season. It’s always one of our goals.”

And come this time next year, St-Onge and her teammates might have a slightly better sense of the perspective that Ruddick and the other soon-to-be 18U graduates have as they envision their final few months with the Chill.

“After playing for so many years, I want to feel like this is my best year yet,” said Ruddick. “I think just having fun and going out and doing my best will do that.”