Ranked seventh coming into this tournament, the 15U boys Black were looking forward to the challenge of a higher level of competition; and they got it, with some to spare.

No easy start this day, as their first opponent turned out to be the #1 ranked Storm Fury of Aurora. The start of the 1st set gave the impression this was to be a strong game from both squads. But after a couple of quick points, Durham Attack found themselves in a very defensive position as the Storm came on hard. With their extremely hard hitting and ability to capitalize on DA’s misplays, Storm quickly jumped to a 4-14 lead. After their second timeout of the set, DA started to challenge, as their play began to come together. It turned into a very spirited set which ultimately Storm took 13-25. The second set saw the boys continue challenging the Storm team with better focus, better blocking and some strong serving. Once again however, the hard hitting and solid serving of Storm proved, on this occasion, to be insurmountable, and while they played hard, DA was overpowered once again, dropping the set 16-25.

The Brampton Selects 96 were the other team in our pool. Feeding off the encouragement of their coaches, the DA boys came out determined to make a good showing. Conner set the tone with strong serves, backed up by some excellent setting from Bradley to Jared and Alex, resulting in a very close, back and forth match. What mistakes our boys did commit were not capitalized on by the Selects, which kept the set close and fast. Some lengthy rally’s and diving saves from Alex and Bradley kept DA in the lead and the win, at 25-21, was ours with a clean set from Bradley to John for the final slam. In set 2 it was Attack’s turn to capitalize on their opponents mistakes. Two calls for being out of rotation against the Selects enabled our guys to stay even in a very entertaining competition. Once again the consistent serves and returns by all players, accompanied by pinpoint setting from Bradley enabled the team to keep it close in another back and forth match. The boys were playing a more “aware” style of ball, while still struggling with the consistency factor. Up a few points near the end, this inconsistency of play on DA’s part made the last couple of points hard to come by. But come by them they did, taking the set 25-23.

After an inexplicable 3 hour break, the 15U boys found themselves on the opposite side of the net to the Durham Attack 16U team. Nothing less than exciting can describe this matchup. With continued quality serving from Conner and Jared, and solid net play from Matt, Bradley and John, our 15U boys showed their 16U clubmates this would not be an easy match. Even after a couple of stumbles, which dropped them into a 7-15 hole, the 15u squad kept chipping away at the 16u defenses, engaging in some highly entertaining rally’s and displaying a very aggressive style of play. Both sides fought hard but in the end the victory went to the 16U boys with a score of 24-26. The beginning of the 2nd set saw a somewhat unsteady 15U squad on the court. It took the loss of a few points to shake them up, then they came back to gain an 11-10 lead before a 16U time out. Both teams settled into a rhythm that saw good rally’s and hard play from both sides of the net, with points being traded evenly until it was 19-19. DA’s 16U boys finally gained the upper hand and took the win 20-25.

The 15u boy’s final game of the day was facing Toronto West. The loser of this game would drop down to tier 2, so a win was a must. The intensity of their play was evidence of the boy’s desire to stay at this level. With Alex hitting hard again and Conner and Jared showing confidence in their serving, another close match entertained the audience. It was an evenly matched set from start to finish, and the final score of 25-23 in DA’s favour came off a serve into the net by Toronto West, followed by a Bradley set to Jared for a centre court slam.

The final set – yes we won – was a continuation of the play from the previous set. From Conner’s strong play on the left to Jared’s serves, accompanied by Tristan’s steady play at middle and his strong defensive blocking at the net, this set was another example of our boys rising to the challenge. Excellent defense, along with solid rally’s once again kept the game close. At 23-22 there was a very intense rally as both teams bunched up on the left side of the court, until Alex finally found the opening and slammed in the point. While a decidedly defensive match, the winner came off a Bradley ace for a 25-22 final score.

While some players have been singled out in this article, it is to be remembered that this is a team of exceptionally talented lads and each and everyone played an important role in this day’s outcome.

This Durham Attack squad certainly knows how to keep its audience members on the edge of their seats. As has become the norm in their style of play thus far this season, the 15U boys, while having no trouble starting strong and taking their pool games by decisive scores, continue with their struggle for consistent play.

Case in point: On this day, while the boys came out strong against the Barrie Elite squad, taking the two sets 25-15              &  25-14; in the second game they struggled with their serves, which gave Forest Green the momentum to challenge.     But while Forest Green pushed DA to the last point, our boys ultimately prevailed 26-24. The 2^nd set was another close match, as Durham struggled throughout before achieving a 25-23 win.

After a break, and some choice words from their coaches, the 3^rd pool match saw a controlled focus return to the team’s play and it showed in each and every player.  Against KW Predators, the 1^st set was a back and forth affair, with DA having the edge in controlling the rally’s, taking the set 25-20. Maintaining this momentum into the 2^nd set, it appeared as though the boys were actually having an easier, more relaxed time of it and they took the set 25-16.

In the quarter final against the Markham Stingers, Durham Attack continued making it tough for themselves with their erratic play, but once again held it together enough in the 1^st set to pull out the win, with a score of 25-22. The 2^nd set   saw still more challenges for the defence and DA went down in a 19-25 loss. Once again displaying the innate ability             “to reach down and pull up their socks”, the boys recovered in the tiebreaker and won it 15-7.

In the semi-final round vs the Niagara Rapids, their failure to capitalize on opportunities continued to hamper Durham’s play. While everyone fought hard for every point, the inability to find that elusive rhythm gave Niagara the victory in straight sets, 25-27 & 23-25. This loss put the boys into the Bronze medal game, once again facing the                                   KW Predators Purple.

Returning to the court with renewed focus and steadfast determination, the team ended the day as they began, coming out strong, gaining the lead and controlling the play from start to finish, taking home the Bronze with wins of 25-17 & 25-19; thereby proving to themselves (and others) they indeed have a foundation of skills and depth of talent on which to build as the season progresses.

Going into their first 18U tournament of the season, the Durham Attack 17U Girls’ Team didn’t know what to expect.  The fact that they were starting in the Premiere Division in this older age group was both exciting, but at the same time, intimidating.

The tournament was held at Niagara College in Welland and started with the D.A. girls going up against DRVC 18U (from Durham).  The first set was easily won with a score of 25-15.  The second set was more of a struggle, and even though our girls fought hard, they lost 21-25.  The tie-breaker could have gone either way.  After a slow start and a few points down, Attack came back to tie the game, but in the end lost 18-20.

The next team up in our pool was the Predators Purple 18U (from Kitchener-Waterloo), a team we had great difficulty with last year.  The first set did not show that however.  After an amazing game with some improved serving, our girls beat the Preds handedly 25-15.  The second set proved that their first win was not just luck.  They again won with a solid score of 25-19.

Despite losing to DRVC earlier in the day, Durham Attack still came out on top of their pool, having won the most sets.  This took them straight into Quarter Finals to face South County Bandits (Windsor/Essex).  After some amazing middle plays, wicked blocks, and consistent serving, D.A. beat the Bandits in both sets with scores of 25-14 and 25-22.

By now, we were already pleased at how far our team had come and were quite excited going into Semis.  There, the girls played the Ottawa Mavericks 18U.  The Mavs offense, however, was not a match for our defense.  After some incredible volleyball, Durham Attack won both sets 25-21 and 25-22 taking them to the Gold medal match.

Forest City Green’s 17U team was also able to get through the older teams, meeting us in the finals.  After two very exciting sets, and with only a two point difference in both sets, our girls lost 24-26 and 23-25, bringing home a Silver medal.  Again, it could have gone either way.  NEXT TIME!

Congratulations to Anna Aguayo, Jaime Fryer, Ashley Hart, Julie Longman, Olivia Michaud, Nicole Mironov, Rachel Poole, Layton Risto, Callan Rolfe-Hughes, Kristine Yan, Michelle Yu, and Coaches Kevin Hellyer and Mike Slean.

Opening against Attack Silver the team was faced with a talented opposition that never gave up on balls, kept their spirits up and worked hard at all aspects of the game. Attack Black was up to the challenge and showed its depth and strength as a team winning in straight sets by sizable margins. It was a good start for the all-round style game that this team is rapidly developing. Strong hitting was evident from Kiara, Kelly, and Carleigh right off the bat, and the team missed only one serve in the entire match.

Next up were the Scarborough Titans Tektonics, and Attack Black once again showed its domination, winning in straight sets. Solid play came from Jordan swinging hard, Cameron passing, Ashleigh F setting, and Bianca working to ensure balls didn’t hit the floor.

With first in the pool, it was now on to the playoff round!

First up was…none other than Durham Attack Red! They’re a motivated, disciplined, and very well-coached group of girls……..just like Attack Silver, and Attack Black!
Attack Black was just too strong, and played great volleyball; serving, passing, setting, and hitting. Carly, Ashley S and Taylor were all solid, and the team prevailed.

In the semi-finals a very solid Markham Stingers team was the opposition. All players needed to get focused and ensure they were at their best because the Stingers had played them very tough in an earlier tournament. The girls were outstanding…… Megan and Kaitlyn saved some of their best volleyball for this match, with all players contributing. Attack won the semi 25 – 19 and 25 – 20.

In the gold medal match our girls continued to be unstoppable, playing loose and confident, and winning in straight sets over Scarborough Titans 25-10 and 25-14. It was another tremendous day of volleyball and teambuilding with the girls going undefeated throughout.

Girls – Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you.
– Henry J. Kaiser

Next stop, Barrie and the 14U Championship division.

11 players coming out of 6 different teams last season, led by Head Coach Evan Williams embarked this September on the road to golden success in the 16U female division.  The team started the season with a jump by winning convincingly at their first Provincial Cup in Keswick on November 19^th.  DA ran the table and went 5 wins with no losses while only losing 2 sets. With the win, the team moves up and will compete in the Championship Division in Kingston on December 17^th

Not wasting any time, the team followed their win in Keswick by competing in an age division higher the following week in Barrie, Ontario. A slow start saw Attack losing to the host Barrie Elites in their first match of the day (17-25 ; 23-25),  followed by a clear win against U17- Stingrays (25-16 ; 25-18). Despite the loss in the first match, we finished first in the pool. Quarter finals:  a deserved win against U17 – Toronto West (25-17 ;  27-25) moved us to the semi’s where a dominant Durham Attack team won the match against a good U17 team – Etobikoke Titans Black (25-21 ; 25-21). This is where we knew something good was about to happen… The Finals: U17 Eclipse West (former Etobikoke Titans – a well decorated team last season) was the opposing competitor. We could write long lines about this game…instead let’s just say the score one more time… 25-12 ; 25-19. Watching the game (and re-watching the videos) one can only say: That’s Entertainment!!!   Remember what we’ve said at the beginning of the article?  11 players, six different teams – only this time it was just the case of 11 players playing as one, shutting down another powerful team.

As Coach Williams has attested, “The girls are working very hard both on and off the court. There are a lot of things to digest and learn but the team  is committed to having a successful season.”

Thanks to the coaching staff, Evan Williams, KellyVerboom  and Lauren van Quickenbourne this team  it’s on its way to great volleyball moments. Now, we only  have  time for one more thing:  Jayden Duquesne-Kennedy, Renee Atkinson, Mollie Gearin, Jazmin Shannon, Sarah Remedios, Sydney Schurman, Megan Romain, Kiana de la Cruz, Soranne Floarea, Jessie Hilton, Dana Marlatt.

Congratulations!  Play hard, have fun and win some more!

A very solid performance against the Ottawa Fusion started the day. After dropping the first few points the boys found their stride and served (pun intended) notice they were a force to be reckoned with, coming back from 5-14 to tie it up at 17-17, before Ottawa took advantage of some weak returns and missed serves to hand DA a 25-19 loss. The second set was another strong showing from our boys, with good positioning and solid net defense helping them keep pace with Fusion. Again however, their momentum waned just enough, allowing the Fusion the opening they needed to take the set 25-17. In this tournament the pool play was 3 full sets per game. The boys jumped to a quick 15-3 lead serving well, playing together and controlling the rallies, before inexplicably losing momentum and letting up on the hard shots. They regrouped, managed to hold off the Fusion surge and took the set 25-15.

The team’s play in the second game had more than one member of the audience wondering if our boys were displaying just a little too much empathy with the NHL’s Leafs and their style of play lately. After such a strong 1^st match, the fellas found themselves struggling against the STVC Swag. While DA’s defense and serving continued to keep them in the contest, playing catchup can unsettle the boys and throw off their concentration.  They handed the STVC Swag the 1^st set 25-18, thereby proving you cannot sleepwalk through these matches. DA dropped 7 points to start the 2^nd set before finally getting their heads into the game. It was another comeback fight which showcased some excellent playmaking, accompanied by some listless efforts, making for a difficult competition where it didn’t need to be. Up 21-16, DA again started to slump, letting Swag come back to tie it 24-24, before another couple of inspired plays gave DA the 26-24 win. The 3^rd set was another exhibition of what not to do on a volleyball court, and the boys lost 25-15. Perhaps a session with Carl Jung or Sigmund Freud (no we won’t try blaming their mothers) could help explain this psychological rollercoaster?

After a much needed break, and a Coach’s pep talk, the boys came back with a new determination. The 1^st set against Pegasus of Kingston, saw a strong start with good serves inspiring accurate sets and powerful returns. Finding that elusive focus once again, the set became a battle for consecutive points for both clubs, with solid rallies and hard hits making for entertaining back and forth action. Pegasus managed a last minute rally to take the set 25-22. Not to be outdone, Durham came back in the 2^nd set with a more aggressive attitude dictating their play. There were a few tense moments at the beginning as the boys dropping behind, however this time they rallied with consistent serving and controlled volley’s to regain the lead and keep it, taking the set 25-23. Playing with renewed confidence, the 3^rd set was a continuation of DA’s momentum building as they rolled to a 15-6 victory.

Positioned to play for a medal, DA found themselves once again facing the Ottawa Fusion; another club who had been getting noticeably stronger throughout the day.  From the first serve you could see the level of play had intensified for both teams. It was a close match early on, but with their hard hitters and strong blockers, Ottawa started adding up the points. The final score of 25-11 for Fusion doesn’t really reflect the level of play. Ottawa just managed to capitalize on the opportunities presented. The 2^nd set saw still more strong serving and accurate returns from both sides, but this time it was DA who got the timely breaks. Maintaining their early lead of what turned into a very thrilling match and visibly rising to the challenge before them, the boys took the set 25-20.  In the tiebreaker 3^rd set, the audience was again witness to plenty of hard hitting, spiking and volleying from both sides of the net. Unfortunately at the mid-set switch, the flow changed and the Durham boys found themselves on the receiving end of a renewed attack by Ottawa. The Fusion took control and went on to win the set 15-5 and a place in the gold medal game. Durham Attack 15u boys found themselves challenging for 16U bronze.

Facing the Maverick Longhorns in the Bronze medal match, Durham Attack was back on form and with both teams playing hard, it was an extremely exciting, challenging point for point 1^st set. Everyone played with heart and the boys displayed a total team effort. Durham Attack finally got the upper hand and took the set 25-21.  The 2^nd set was a prime example of just how well these boys can play when they stay focused, continue to hit hard and communicate. They  took an early lead and despite a couple of questionable calls, which on another occasion might have unraveled them, they hung on to their inner inspiration, never letting up, even during some of the longer rallies they had encountered throughout the day, and went on to take the set 25-17, and the 16U Provincial Cup Bronze medal. Big cheers and an overwhelming sigh of relief.

Durham Attack 17U Girls played their first tournament of the 2011/2012 season on November 26 at Niagara College in Ottawa, bringing home a bronze medal.

The first match was against Aurora Storm Ice (16U).  Durham Attack took an early lead in the first game through solid serving and good blocking, winning 25:10.  The second game was closer at 25:22.  None the less, a good start for the first tournament of the year.

Their second match in Pool Play was against Ottawa Mavericks.  A not-so-great start had our team losing the first game 19:25.  After an exciting second set, the girls beat Ottawa 25:18, bringing them to the much dreaded tie-breaker.  Despite some bad calls by the ref, and a hard battle against the determined Mavs, our equally determined 17U team came out ahead with a score of 17:15.

After a long break and a buy into Quarters, Durham Attack faced Storm Ice once again.  DA took an early lead, then surged ahead to win 25:19.  In game two, we kept a commanding lead and won 25:9.

In the Semis, Durham Attack faced Leaside Lightning (a newly formed team comprised of mostly Interclub players), losing a tight first game 23:25.  Leaside took an early lead in the second game, however, DA fought back to win 25:21.  Leaside came back even stronger for the tie-breaker and we were not able to hold them off, losing 11:15.

Finally, after a long day, the 17U girls faced Eclipse East (16U) in a match for the bronze.  Through strong hitting and blocking, they took the first game 25:22.  In the second game, powerful serving and blocking helped the team to a 25:13 win and the bronze medal.

Congratulations to this year’s team:  Anna Aguayo, Jaime Fryer, Ashley Hart, Julie Longman, Olivia Michaud, Nicole Mironov, Rachel Poole, Layton Risto, Callan Rolfe-Hughes, Kristine Yan, and Michelle Yu.  Also, a big thanks to our Coaches – Kevin Hellyer and Mike Slean.

The girls are looking forward to their next tournament on December 10^th.

Playing middle, #1-Jared Harris, # 5-John Deacon and #12-Jon Orrett

Playing left side, #3-Connor Forrest, #4-Andrew Pearson, #8-Tim Chow and #10-Alex Hatzinikou

Playing right side, #9-Riley Dyment(“unofficial” Libero),  #11-Tristan Swinden and #15-Matt Van Camp

And at setter, # 6-Tyler Paxton and #16-Bradley Whitlock

Head coach is Mike Bossence, ably assisted by Adam Martin and Steve Bossence.

Unofficially, the season started on Nov 5^th, with the “preseason” Markham Stingers Open.  In something of an understatement, let me say it was a good start to the season for the boys, as they fairly dominated play that day, winning the majority of their sets by more than 10 points. It was gratifying to see the boys playing so well together, when you consider four of the players are new and other players have been switched to new positions this year. The only solid challenge came in the gold medal game, against the Markham Stingers Black. DA finally dropped a set, forcing a tiebreaker to decide the winner. With renewed determination, Durham Attack pulled out a 15-13 win and the boys were awarded their first gold medals.

Two practices later and the boys were at it again, this time at the Nov 12^th 15U Provincial Cup. Not quite picking up where they left off the previous week, a slightly different story unfolded.  Once again facing The Markham Stingers Black, the fellas found themselves struggling to find their rhythm in the 1^st set. After an early DA timeout to regroup, the boys started putting together more focused plays. Accompanied by some very solid serving, DA took a commanding lead and held it for their 1^st win of the day. The 2^nd set was a repeat of the 1^st, with the team stumbling through the early portion of the set, having difficulty stringing two points together. Thankfully everyone was solid in their serving and once the defense started coming together the set was theirs. And that is how the day continued. They would start slow, playing like they were still trying to get familiar with each other;  find their focus and go on to take the win.  Or, they would start strong, control the play throughout, then struggle to make the last couple of points for the win; but take them they would. Once through the pool play, and having a bit of a break, the team starting playing in a more consistent and controlled manner. Utilizing a good mix of accurate serves, strong  volleys and excellent blocking at the net, the whole team showed they had come to play……..and win. In this way, DA neutralized the strong defensive moves of Ottawa Fusion and the quick reflects of Barrie Elite, taking both those games by a comfortable points spread of at least 10 to 15 points in each set.

The gold medal game against the Markham Stingers saw another divergence from the established storyline. The 1^st set was a hard fought match, with both teams serving well and backing that up with excellent defensive action. The audience was entertained by some fine displays of skill during some lengthy rally’s. DA’s service game helped maintain the lead and despite a minor struggle to achieve the final point, a surprise tip over gave DA the 25-20 win. Set #2 was the most challenging match of the day. After being called out of rotation right off the first whistle, our boys found themselves fighting to stay close to the Stingers. But fight they did! It turned into a back and forth battle, going point for point for the majority of the game. At 17-17, DA lost their rhythm, and the next few points, before coming back with the help of two timely aces to tie it again at 23-23. Again, the last couple of points were the hardest to get, and I won’t even try to say what affect that had on the audience. But get them they did, taking home their second gold medal with a final score of 25-23.

Congratulations to the coaches and all the boys for an excellent start to the season.

Next  up;  the story of the boys first incursion into the 16U level of competition.

The latest addition to the Durham Attack’s stellar group of teams is the Girls 14U, Team White!!  On Saturday November 19, 2011, DA White, played in their first tournament as a team. The day presented a chance for the girls to bond and really get to know one another. As with any new team, the day started off with jitters and unfamiliar strengths and weakness of fellow team mates; however, as the day progressed, the team continued to build momentum and tremendous improvement followed.

It was clear that the girls were communicating better and beginning to gel as a team, which resulted in some victorious games. Overall the day provided for a really good learning and developmental opportunity.

Great job girls! Congrats as well to our dedicated coaching staff, Rob, Christine and Cathy, great day!  Go Durham White!!