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The final OVA events of the calendar year took place on Saturday and Sunday, with eight Lakeside teams in action. Below is a quick rundown of the weekend’s results.
SATURDAY – DECEMBER 13
14 Assegai
Another strong performance from this group, who are now 2-for-2 in OVA tournament play this season. After sweeping their morning matches, the team was set up for a deep playoff run and delivered. They made quick work of their quarterfinal and semifinal opponents, then fell behind in the gold medal match before mounting an impressive comeback to claim top honours in three sets. Congratulations, team!
14 Isihlangu
Playing short-handed due to illness and injury, the girls faced a challenging day in the Select Division. Up against stiff competition in Windsor, the team struggled to find its rhythm. After finishing third in pool play, they pushed Smash Raiders to three sets but couldn’t hold on in the decider, ending their medal hopes. A tough loss to Hurricanes in the final match saw the squad finish 9th overall.
14 Shambulio
Hosting the Challenge Cup in Oakville, the team finished third in their pool following the morning matches. In the quarterfinals, they battled hard but couldn’t get past a solid Reach Radiant squad. Shambulio rebounded well to finish the day strong, winning their final two matches and securing 5th place. Great effort, girls!
14 Kitara
Competing in a local Burlington OVA event, the results didn’t reflect the effort and energy the team brought throughout the day. Kitara dropped their pool play matches by the narrowest of margins, then fell in a tight three-set pre-quarterfinal match. A straight-set loss in the 5/7 match placed the team 7th on the day.
SUNDAY – DECEMBER 14
18 Aquila
Hosting at Loyola CHS in Oakville, Aquila split their morning matches to finish second in their pool. The girls were pushed to three sets by Phoenix in the quarterfinals but held on to advance. In the semifinals, they defeated KW Preds convincingly (15, 16). After dropping the first set in the final, Aquila battled back to force a third but came up just short, earning a well-deserved silver medal. Congratulations, ladies!
18 Askari
Playing at the University of Guelph, the team had a tough start, dropping both pool play matches and moving into the pre-quarterfinal round. They pulled out a tight three-set win, but that set up a quarterfinal matchup against the top-seeded team, resulting in a straight-set loss. In the 5/7 match, Askari couldn’t find their rhythm and finished the day in 7th place.
18 Takoba
A split in pool play saw Takoba finish second in their group. In the playoffs, the team pushed Stratford but couldn’t secure the win needed to reach the semifinals. In the 5/7 match, the girls rallied from a first-set loss to win a thrilling second set (26–24), but the emotional effort took its toll, and they dropped the deciding third set to finish 7th overall.
18 Shujaa
A mixed morning resulted in Shujaa earning top spot in their pool through tiebreakers, but it also led to a difficult quarterfinal matchup against the eventual tournament champions, KW Preds Panthers. After a tough loss, the team moved on to the 5/7 match but couldn’t generate momentum. The group now awaits placement for their final 18U tournament in March 2026.
Up Next
Lakeside teams are off for the winter break before returning to action with OVA and USA tournament play in the new year.
Happy Holidays, everyone! 🎄
