A somewhat trying year came to a positive conclusion for Lo-Ellen Park Knights volleyball athlete Vanessa Chorkawy recently as she and her Diables U-18 teammates grabbed gold at the Ontario Volleyball Association Tier III championships. The results were all the more rewarding given that club volleyball provided the only outlet for the Lively native this past season. But more on that later.

The youngest of three children, Chorkawy owes much of her athletic prowess to years of ballet, practicing seven nights a week. “The dedication that ballet taught me – the fact that the hours of practice really do help in the end – it was tough to leave because I really did miss it” admits Chorkawy.

A graduate of Ecole St Paul elementary school, Chorkawy had her first taste of volleyball at this level, playing just one tournament a year. But entering St Benedict’s Catholic Secondary School as a Grade 9 student who stands 5’10” tall, Chorkawy was natural for recruitment to the Bears varsity teams. “The coach stopped me in the hall one day, probably because of my height. And it didn’t hurt that I’m a left-handed hitter” laughs the friendly 17 year-old.

Needing a change, Chorkawy moved south end schools, transferring from St Benedict’s to Lo-Ellen Park. Unfortunately, the move meant that the Grade 12 student would become ineligible to compete with any of the Knights teams in sports in which she had played in Grade 11. While Chorkawy knew there was a chance her transfer would not allow her to play this year, she was also aware that there are countless other student athletes across the city who circumvent the ruling in a variety of manners.

“It makes it difficult because we tried to follow up…my dad, coach Tom Sutton - all I really wanted to do was play sports” said Chorkawy, who situation was worsened by the fact that in Grade 11, she competed in basketball, soccer and volleyball, leaving her precious few options for Grade 12 at Lo-Ellen.

Thankfully, her final year at St Benedicts had also introduced Chorkawy to the club volleyball system where she had joined up with Sutton and the U-18 Diables for the 2004-05 season. “We started near the bottom in the province that year and finished in 15^th. Making it all the way to Tier I was the most satisfying moment, I think, for that team.”

With a large number of players graduating this past season and scheduling conflicts between the high-school season and club volleyball, winning Tier III with a very young team ended the season on a high note. Not surprisingly given the events of the past 12 months, Chorkawy has decided to return for a 5^th year of secondary schooling at Lo-Ellen, joining Knights teammates Kristi Bauer, Liza Grenon and Jillian Shell for one last shot at OFSAA glory. And a more memorable final year of high-school athletics, if nothing else.
 

Vanessa Chorkawy, Lo-Ellen Park Knights
 

“The coach stopped me in the hall one day, probably because of my height. And it didn’t hurt that I’m a left-handed hitter”