The Northern Chill 16U Black Vortex girls were already in pretty elite company, simply earning the right to compete at the Girls Fall Classic Provincial Cup* in Ottawa earlier this month, a gathering of the top 24 teams in this age bracket in Ontario.

(* the Chill U18 Sub Zero girls also competed in the same event)

They exited feeling even more special, having improved from their pre-tournament seeding as #13 (based on the 2022-2023 season) all the way up to #7 in the province – and right there with the very best of the best.

Posting a record of 7-3 in pool play, the Sudbury crew finished second in their bracket and were seeded fifth overall thanks to victories over Defensa from Burlington (25-8, 25-19), Niagara Rapids TNT from St Catharines (25-19, 25-16) and Scarborough Synergy (25-21, 25-20), in addition to splitting a two set match with Caspian of Newmarket (30-28, 19-25) and falling only to the Barrie Elites (16-25, 18-25).

Pitted against the powerhouse Pakmen crew from Mississauga, the northern girls went the distance, eventually beaten 25-20, 24-26, 15-9 and closing out the day with a 15-25, 9-25 setback to the top-seeded Durham Attack.

“To finish seventh overall is truly an amazing feat with 168 teams (in total in the province) in our age group,” noted Black Vortex head coach Paul Renaud. He was also thrilled with just how quickly team newcomers Nyah Robinson and Cate Verlaan were able to adapt to the elite volleyball environment, with both displaying their versatility over the course of the weekend.

The balance of the 2023-2024 Chill 16U Black Vortex roster features Mya Balfe, Ellie Renaud, Maili Jutila, Isabelle Renaud, Madison Paris, Isabella Sooley, Isabella MacIsaac and Lilah Selby, in addition to assistant coach Tammy Jutila and team manager Jennifer Selby.

The Vortex are back in action on (Saturday) December 9th, travelling to Uxbridge as the top seed in the Challenge Cup – Select B tournament being hosted at Uxbridge Secondary School.