Five teams took to the court on Saturday for the 17U OVA Challenge Cup — the second official OVA tournament of the season — while our 13U teams saw their first OVA action in the final round of Provincial Cup events:
17U Walezi (Select)
Walezi had a challenging start, finishing third in their pool and setting up a pre-quarter match with MVC Kilimanjaro. A strong performance earned them a comfortable win and a quarterfinal meeting with the top seed.
After dropping the first set, the girls stormed back, dismantling FCVC Helios in the next two sets to advance to the semifinals. A tight three-set battle with Durham Attack ended in a narrow 13–15 loss, sending them to the bronze medal match versus Smash.
Despite a strong push, the team came up short, finishing fourth on the day and securing their spot in Select for the McGregor Cup in the new year.
17U Shujaa (Championship)
A mixed morning in pool play placed Shujaa in a quarterfinal matchup with Niagara Rapids. A long three-hour break after pools led to a sluggish start, and the Rapids took the match in straight sets.
In the 5/7 match, Shujaa responded with purpose, taking down their opponents in straight sets to clinch 5th place and maintain their position in the Championship division.
17U Billao (Trillium Green)
Billao finished pool play with a 1–1 record, good for second in their pool. Facing a tough Hummingbird squad in the quarterfinals, the girls pushed the match to three sets but couldn’t close out the third.
Motivated for their 5/7 match against club-mates 16U Cimpaba, the team came ready to play and secured a straight-set win to finish 5th on the day.
16U Cimpaba (Trillium Green)
Playing up an age group, Cimpaba dropped both morning matches by slim margins, setting up a pre-quarter against YRV Nova. A straight-set win moved them into a quarterfinal clash with the tournament’s top seed.
The girls battled hard but couldn’t get past the Rapids, landing in the 5/7 match versus 17U Billao. Despite another gritty effort, they fell short and finished 7th.
16U Inkemba (Trillium Green)
Also playing up, Inkemba had a mixed morning that placed them in a quarterfinal match with Waterloo Tigers Rise. After dropping the first set, the girls surged back to take the second and force a deciding set. They erased an early deficit to tie things at 10, but a few costly errors sealed a three-set loss.
In the 5/7 match against Norfolk Chaos, Inkemba struggled in the first set but rebounded with strong play in sets two and three, earning a well-deserved 5th place finish.
13U Kascara (Trillium)
In their first OVA action of the season, Kascara finished first in their pool after tiebreakers and met the Grimsby Vipers in the quarterfinals. A thrilling three-set win sent them to the semis with two chances at a medal.
The team couldn’t find their rhythm in the semis and fell in straight sets. In the bronze match, Kascara battled back to force a third set but dropped a heartbreaker by just three points. A strong showing for their season debut — well done, team!
13U Onzil (Trillium)
Also making their OVA season debut, Onzil split their pool-play matches to finish second. In the quarterfinals, they brought energy but were unable to overcome their opponents in straight sets.
In the 5/7 match versus the Grimsby Vipers, the girls dropped the first set but roared back to take the second. Riding that momentum, they dominated the third set 15–9, securing 5th place and ending their first event on a high note.
Up Next
Our 16U teams are back in action December 6–7. Good luck to the many Lakeside squads competing in the 16U OVA Challenge Cup!
