DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
UXBRIDGE: It was another banner season for the Senior Girls volleyball team, at Uxbridge Secondary School, as they won provincial Bronze Medals at the recent Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championships in Chatham. Winners of the past five Lake Ontario Secondary School Athletics (LOSSA) championships, the Tigers rolled into OFSAA after an undefeated regular season, and a dominant run to the Durham title. The number-three seed at OFSAA, the Tigers tore through the competition in pool play, posting a perfect record. Uxbridge defeated Lorne Park (Mississauga), Father Redmond (Etobicoke) and Chippewa (North Bay), in straight sets, in all three match-ups. In their quarterfinal match-up against Sir Winston Churchill (St. Catherines), Uxbridge faced a feisty opponent. After taking the first set 25 to 21, the Tigers fell 25 to 16 in the second. However, they would rebound with back-to-back wins of 25 to 16 and 25 to 17, to book their ticket to the semifinals and guarantee that they would play for a medal. A surprising Waterloo team, the tournament’s number-six seed awaited the Tigers in the semifinals. The Tigers fell behind after dropping the opening set 25 to 20, but were able to rebound with a 25 to 20 win in the second set to knot the game. However, that would be as close as they would get, as Waterloo won in dramatic fashion, 25 to 23 and 25 to 22, to send Uxbridge to the Bronze Medal match. The Bronze Medal game against Aurora was another thriller, with the two sides splitting the first two sets. Aurora squeaked past Uxbridge 27 to 25 in the opener before the Tigers rebounded 25 to 15. However, Aurora struck back with a 25 to 21 victory in the third set. Facing defeat, the Tigers pulled off a dramatic 27 to 25 win in the fourth to send the game to a winner-take-all fifth and final set. Buoyed by their dramatic comeback, the Tigers rolled in the deciding set, winning 15 to 7, to bring Bronze Medals back to Uxbridge and cap another dominant season on the court for the local ladies.