Give the OVA (Ontario Volleyball Association) some credit – the tournament format used throughout the season with the aim of matching teams against comparable competition could not have worked a whole lot better recently for the Northern Chill 18U Subzero girls.

With a total of ten visiting teams in town at the end of March for Bugarski Cup – Select B competition, the local girls had four two set matches in place for opening day – and proceeded to split all four, one set apiece. Nothing speaks more to the parity in this grouping than results like that.

The trend was set early as the Chill toppled the Durham Rebels from Oshawa (25-20) in game one, only to fall 21-25 in the rematch. Same story against the second Durham Rebels entry (Boom – 25-13, 24-26) and Mountain Volleyball Club Everest from Hamilton (25-17, 17-25), before the Sudbury girls swept aside the Niagara Rapids Legend (25-20, 25-16) in their final pool game.

Sliding into third place in Pool B (pool of six), the Subzero squad dropped their cross-over match to the Ottawa Fusion Purple (17-25, 20-25), but bounced back to secure a top half finish, outlasting the Durham Rebels, 19-25, 25-20, 15-7.

Now preparing for provincials this month is the team of Fannie Gauthier, Marley Tremblay, Abby Laporte, Mia Lemay-Evans, Kate Rolston, Aly Nicholls, Olivia Nicholls, Mia Robson, Shae St Onge, Sarah Teddy, head coach Sheldon Root and team manager Sarah Kealy.