Senior Girls' Volleyball Team Wins Opening Tourney
The Senior Girls’ Volleyball team emerged victorious in their season-opening tournament at Sir John A. MacDonald Collegiate Institute on November 23. Writeup by Carla DiFilippo.
The team members had only a few practices under their belts, but they felt prepared to take on some high-calibre competition and to showcase their skills. The first game was against a local high school, North Toronto. With some aggressive serving by Emily McIlquham and repeated blocks of their best hitter by Jill Eisenhauer, North Toronto quickly folded to Greenwood in two sets (both scored 25-12).
The second game was against a very defensive team from Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute. Greenwood fell short in the first set but came back to win the second set. The last game of pool play was against L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute. The team was back on track in this game, and with some big blocks from Eileen Nash and solid hitting from both Sarah Lloyd and Mackenzie Chisholm, your Grizzlies finished pool play sitting in first place.
The quarter finals were against Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. This was an easier game, and some key tips by Kate Farrell in the right-side position secured us a spot in the semis. As quarter-final winners, Greenwood would take on the winner of the game between North Toronto and fellow CISAA school Holy Trinity. North Toronto took the win, which meant the Grizzlies would play a rematch of their first game for a chance to advance to the finals.
The Greenwood team got off to a slow start, and North Toronto had an aggressive server. However, after a key time-out call, the Grizzlies both mentally and physically brought it back and started playing our game. Consistent setting by all-star Rosslyn Penny kept Greenwood in the game; her quick movements and spectacular quick sets to massive hitter Jill Eisenhauer scored us many points. In the end, your Grizzlies defeated North Toronto in two sets.
Next up were the finals against host school Sir John A. MacDonald. The team had also gone undefeated and was prepared to win in its own gym. The Grizzlies got off to a great start, making huge digs and serving hard down the lines. It was a back-and-forth game, with both teams going on runs. Emily McIlquham stepped up her game and was a hitting machine, with hard and smart hits to the corners. Our middles, Jill Eisenhauer and Eileen Nash, were also great blockers, helping our back court make some key digs. Greenwood took the first set by a narrow margin of 25-23. The second set was much like the first, and your Grizzlies fought from behind to make the score 25-24. With the “win by two” rule in place, it was Michelle Phillips’s turn to serve out the game. There was some intense pressure to not only get the serve in play, but to serve aggressively. Michelle rose to the occasion and served up a point to help the Grizzlies take the set 26-24 and the tournament win in two straight sets.
Congrats to everyone on the team and to this week’s Greenwood Athlete of the Week, Emily McIlquham, for earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. Keep up the great work! Stay motivated! Practice hard!
Congrats to everyone on the team and to this week’s Greenwood Athlete of the Week, Emily McIlquham, for earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. Keep up the great work! Stay motivated! Practice hard!
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The team with their official "tournament winner" shirts.
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A Greenwood player goes up for a hit.
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