Some of the province’s top high school volleyball athletes converged on Elliot Lake and Blind River as the two communities hosted the OFSAA 2024 Girls’ A volleyball tournament this week.
Twenty top-ranked high school volleyball teams played in Elliot Lake, Blind River and the. Mississaugi First Nation (MFN) joined by coaching staff and supporters.
The Elliot Lake Secondary School (ELSS) Atoms team represented the host communities in the tournament.
Atoms Coach Darryl McCallum congratulated his team on its performance.
“The girls fought hard against some very tough competition. The group successfully met several team goals and came together as a unit as the tournament proceeded,” he said. “The girls demonstrated championship behaviours and played some of the best volleyball of their season on the biggest stage, the OFSAA Championship.”
“The team is very thankful for the tremendous support provided by tournament organizers, volunteers and the community at large. Without the support this opportunity would not have been possible.”
Cole Dumond of ELSS and Jon Lauricella W.C. Eaket Secondary School were co-convenors of the event that saw games played at several locations in the two communities and MFN.
Taking the tournament championship was St. Clement’s School from Toronto. All teams played in a best of three format.
In OFSAA’s 75th year, the 2024 OFSAA Girls’ A Volleyball, hosted by NOSSA, March 4 to 6 in Blind River, ElliotLake and Mississaugi First Nation was won by top seed St. Clement’s School, defeating second seed É.S.C. L’Horizon in the championship final 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.
“The event provided three days of exciting volleyball with amazing displays of athleticism and teamwork. Despite facing many strong and accomplished teams, St. Clement’s was dominant, not losing a single set over the entirety of the tournament,” said Kayla Fairbrother Vice-Principal at W.C. Eaket Secondary School.
“This outstanding tournament was supported by É.s.c. Jeunesse-Nord, and Villa Française des Jeunes. The tournament marks the first year that an OFSAA tournament has been hosted in the North Shore area since 1989.
“We extend a special thank you to all our sponsors and local businesses and individuals who helped to bring OFSAA to our area,” Fairbrother added. “Congratulations to all the teams, for representing your schools and associations.”
“Hosting an OFSAA event in the North Shore area for the first time in 35 years was an amazing experience and something that we are very proud to have brought back to the community. We are thrilled to hear the many compliments we received from officials, coaches, players, parents, and community members about hosting an organized and well-coordinated OFSAA Girls' A Volleyball Championship,” co-covenors Dumond and Lauricella said in a statement. “It cannot be overstated that the success of this event relied on the coordinated efforts of countless student and staff volunteers, and we extend our gratitude to all of those who were involved. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all the teams who travelled here who were gracious and friendly, and who provided some incredible volleyball to spectate.”
“We congratulate St. Clement's on their first place finish, and to É.S.C. L'Horizon, University of Toronto Schools, and Hamilton District Christian High School for finishing second, third, and fourth respectively. We sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed the event as much as we enjoyed hosting it. It was truly special, and we look forward to doing it again in the future.”
“Organizing a tournament of this magnitude could not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of our many volunteers from W.C. Eaket Secondary School, Elliot Lake Secondary School and É.s.c. Jeunesse-Nord, as well as Missisaugi First Nation's In Motion Fitness Centre and École secondaire Villa Française des Jeunes for providing additional facilities to host games. Equally as vital to hosting this event was the support of all our sponsors, especially our Title Sponsor, Cameco. The combined efforts of everyone made this a memorable experience for all involved in the tournament, and hopefully for our communities too,” Lauricella added.