Owls sweep NWOSSAs to earn berth into All Ontarios!

By Ken Johnston
Editor

It was a second chance that few people will forget! The Rainy River High School Owls Sr. Girls Volleyball team used it to win their way to the All Ontarios (OFSSAs) this past Thursday and Friday.
It was a second chance because the week before the Owls finished second in NORWOSSAs to Thomas Aquinas of Kenora. However, Kenora won silver at the All Ontarios last year which earned them an automatic berth to this year’s OFSSAs. So that meant the Owls were awarded a second chance and even became the host for NWOSSA.
The Nipigon-Redrock Lakers Champions of NSSAA travelled to RRHS on Thursday to face the Owls, NORWOSSA silver medalists.
The first match was held Thursday evening with the Lakers looking a bit fatigued from the eight hour bus ride that day.
In the first game Nipigon started service but quickly lost it allowing the Owls to score first. Audrey Chjoko-Bolec was first to serve for the Owls and she scored four easy ones before the Lakers found some solid ground to lead 5-1.
With service back on the Lakers side, a good rally back and forth ensued with the Owls digging deep and the Lakers returning the ball several times. However it ended when the Lakers hit it out of bounds. Lindsey Bourre then served it up with a strong line of attackers at the net. Chelsey Brown had a great kill and the Owls scored twice before giving the ball back to the Lakers. It was 8-2 at this point for the Owls.
Nipigon then scored twice before Courtney Hansen stuffed it down their opponent’s throats to make it 9-4.
Hansen then served up three points for the Owls to lead 12-4.
The Lakers scored one more before Alexis Sharp of the Owls would serve three points to lead 16-6. The Lakers then called a time out, trying to break RR’s momentum. It seemed to work but only for one play. RR lost the serve and lead 16-7.
Nipigon lost its serve to put RR up 17-7.
Brown the added four to the Owls tally to make it 21-8.
The Lakers then served one point before the Owls would make an awesome dig and a devastating kill by Hansen to lead 22-9.
Hansen served out of bounds to make it 22-10. That would be as close as the Lakers would get to 25 the rest of the evening. Chojko-Bolec finished service off for the Owls backed up by more kills by Hansen. They won 25-10.
In game 2 it was all Owls. Chojko-Bolec served up 8 points right off the hop to lead 8-1.
The Lakers then lost the serve to let Bourre serve for the Owls. She put three points up on the board, again with the help of kills from Hansen and Brown. By the time her service was over it was 15-2 for RR.
Brown would then spike the Lakers serve back at them to make it 16-2.
Hansen would then score five in a row with the last two being Aces! It was 21-3, the Lakers then served into the net to make it 22-3.
Victoria Clifford then served for the Owls and with a powerful kill by Rylee Mowe, she pegged point number 22.
Nipigon hit one Ace but then lost serve to leave Brown to serve on game point. The final score was 25-5 for the Owls.
Game 3 was again dominated by the Owls. By the time Chojko-Bolec and Bourre finished serving early on, it was 9-2 for RR. Hansen would add three more with another great stuff by Mowe to make it 13-4.
Sharp served up an Ace and then two more points to make it 17-4.
The Lakers lost serve and Brown put two more Aces up o the board to make it 20-6.
Nipigon would get the ball back twice more but RR would capitalize on its strengths at the net and stuffs by Hansen twice would see them go on to win 25-10.
Match 2
On Friday morning it appeared that the rest the Lakers received the night before gave them some poise.
Nipigon stayed close for the first half of the scoring. It was 11-9 after nine servers handled the ball. But then Mowe took control and served for ten points. Hansen would record two more kills and Mowe two Aces! It was 22-10 when the Owls lost service.
But Hansen put a big block to stop the Lakers from scoring. Chojko-Bolec would then score two more on service to give the Owls a 25-10 win!
In game two it again started out close and the Lakers even lead for the first time 7-8. But that would be short-lived. Brown would serve five points to lead 14-9 before the Lakers called a time out. After that break Brown put five more up on the board to lead 19-10.
At 21-10 it looked like an easy win was in store for the Owls, but the Lakers rallied to 24-20, but then served out of bounds to give RR the victory!
In game 3, the Owls could smell the All Ontarios just a win away!
Chojko-Bolec scored one and Nipigon replied with one. But then Bourre served up four, including two Aces to take a 6-3 lead.
Nipigon would score three to get to 7-6. But that was as close as they would get to stopping the Owls sweep of the Lakers.
Hansen would serve up three with a nice tip over the Lakers’ blockers by Brown. It was 10-7 at that point.
The Lakers then lost serve and then called a time out before Hansen would serve nine points. Mowe and Sharp would each record a nice kill on this rally. It was now 20-8.
The Lakers lost serve making it 21-8.
Sharp would serve and Mowe would stuff one off the block to make it 22-9.
Nipigon again lost serve making it 23-10.
Brown would then score one to make it game point. That followed by an Ace and the Owls clinched a berth to the All Ontarios March 7-9th in Bellville, Ont.
Coach Guy Arpin said Monday, “I was very impressed with the girls play last week. They have been peaking toward the end of the season which has allowed us this opportunity. The girls by far played the best game of their season on Thursday night! They did not let anything hit the floor and they attacked everything. I think they had around 45 attacks in the first match!”
When asked what his expectations are for OFSAAs he said, “As I have said before, when northern teams head down for the provincial championships, they are at somewhat of a disadvantage. We do not have the opportunities for the number of high quality games as they do in the higher populated areas. Our first goal is to win a couple of matches in our pool play and advance to playoffs. From there we will re-evaluate and see what happens!”
This trip to the All Ontarios is a costly one and the team will be fund raising when they get home. However, anyone wishing to help out with a donation can drop them off at Rainy River High School’s office with secretary Cathy Seguin.
“This is a very expensive trip but it is an opportunity that does not come that often. We will be doing stuff after we get back. Some people have been very generous and have already made donations. The support has been greatly appreciated,” said Arpin.