Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) tournament play kicks off in earnest this coming weekend, with the 17U girls in action right across the province.
From a local perspective, the competitions that involve 168 teams in total (yes – that’s just one single age bracket in action this weekend) sees the Northern Chill 17U Black Vortex in the Burlington region, part of the 24-team contingent that will assemble for the Fall Classic 2-Day Event – essentially a collection of the top 24 teams in the province in this division.
From there, everyone else rolls out, with most weekends finding three to four age groups in action, split somewhat evenly between the boys and the girls, and running from November 2nd right through until the Ontario Championships take over the entire volleyball calendar for the month of April (2025).
An awareness of all of the above was key to understanding the rationale and benefits to the Northern Chill / Boréal Exhibition series hosted these past few days in Sudbury – at Collège Boréal and Ecole secondaire Macdonald-Cartier, to be specific.
A total of 36 teams donning the colours of the Northern Chill Volleyball Club (20 teams), the North Bay (YVC) Lakers, the Panthers / Vision Volleyball Club (North Bay) and Steel City Ignite Volleyball (Sault Ste Marie) participated in what amounted to a series of friendlies, important games nonetheless with tournament play just ahead.
“I think the coaches like to test things out at an event like this,” suggested 14 year-old left-side hitter Rhen Richards, a member of the U15 Ignite Flames from the Lock City. “At the start of the season, people are changing positions and finding out who is comfortable where.”
“This gives the coaches the ability to see where players fit well on the court,” added Richards, a grade nine student at St Mary’s College. “That’s what our coach did and it worked out very well.”
With older siblings and a mother who all enjoy the sport of volleyball as well, Richards found herself introduced to actual team play in grade six or so, adding the commitment that comes with club sport involvement shortly thereafter.
“I love the intensity of the game and the passion that people have for volleyball,” said Richards.
“Having your friends go with you on trips, talking to them – and then the whole excitement of walking into the big, big gyms and seeing all of the teams – it’s just so much fun to play.”
Initially slotted as a middle before sliding over to the left side, Richards is one of a solid core of Ignite girls who are back from the U14 crew, that group now empowered with the task of ensuring those who are taking up club ball for the first time this year are immersed within the team concept as quickly as possible.
“Newcomers are always very nervous,” Richards acknowledged. “It’s nerve-wracking joining girls who have been playing with each other for a hundred years, right. Welcoming them on the team and making sure they are supported and comforted – that’s important.”
Competing in a game setting with the Northern Chill Volleyball Club for the very first time, 14 year-old grade nine student (Marymount Academy) Mya Switzer actually followed her younger sister from elementary volleyball over to the club scene.
In that sense, the 5’2” left side hitter can most definitely relate to the uncertainty of the environment that sees a whole slew of new information on the sport sent in her direction, all at once.
“Rotations can be really confusing,” noted Switzer of the jigsaw puzzle of positional placement that occurs on the defensive side of the court. “There’s a lot to remember. You’re switching around the floor but you have to be behind this person and beside that person.”
“There’s a lot to it – but it allows you to play your position and really focus on what you do best.”
An undersized attacking power, Switzer takes a great deal of pride in her passing abilities, knowing that libero might ultimately be the role she is most well-suited for down the road.
“You have to get your angles of your form just right – and make sure that you are always on your toes,” said the rookie with the Chill U15 Icebergs. “Don’t just watch the ball fall; get there.”
That thought has been engrained in the head of 13 year-old Chill veteran Sophie Marshall for several years now – though the bulk of that volleyball foundation was built on her experience at C.R. Judd Public School in Capreol and the wealth of knowledge that is teacher and coach Craig Thomson (or simply “Mr T” – as he is most affectionately known at the school).
“It’s something special to play volleyball there,” said Marshall, now in grade eight, having started this journey in grade three only to see it derailed for a year or two by Covid. “You look forward to it, look forward to going to school just to play and represent one of the smallest schools in Sudbury, but one of the best (volleyball) schools.”
“It’s crazy now that I am already one of the older ones as I remember being one of the younger ones,” Marshall said with a laugh. “I look at them and think: you’re going to be me some day.”
Even with years of on-court experience to her credit, the versatile talent who stars at setter for Judd and at right-side with the Chill U14 Black Ice still values the time her team can spend, on weekends like this one, working through some of the challenges as they deal with rotational volleyball for the first time in their careers.
“Remembering them all is tough – and we’re doing a 6-2 (formation), which is the toughest to learn,” said Marshall. “It’s a matter of learning them all.”
And much like Switzer, the well-spoken teenager who fancies herself as either a setter or libero in the future – “I am 5’4” and likely done growing” – is equally hyper-focused while taking on her defensive posture on the court.
“Be on your toes; just be ready,” suggested Marshall. “You don’t know when the ball is going to come over, you don’t know how it’s going to come over or where it’s going to land, so you need to be ready.”
And getting ready for the OVA season ahead could well be the tag line for this past weekend of pre-season play.
