A .500 record through the opening two days of provincials would leave the Northern Chill TLS Heat Wave girls just barely on the outside of Division I status – but determined to still close out the event with a bang.

Winning three of their final four games of the playdowns last Saturday, the locals emerged from the RIM Park Complex in Waterloo with bronze medals in hand to close out their 2023-2024 campaign.

Ranked 27th entering play on Thursday, the northern squad overcame a slow start, losing their opener to the Orillia Suns Sun Block (25-21, 18-25, 5-15), but stringing together victories over both the FCVC (Forest City VC) Hickory from London (25-16, 25-16) and the Niagara Rapids Extreme (25-16, 20-25, 15-6).

Bumping up slightly to 22nd seed on Friday, the Heat Wave girls endured their full complement of nine sets, going the distance in setbacks to the Peterborough Thunder White (25-4, 18-25, 10-15) and the Chatham Ballhawks Soar (12-25, 25-17, 11-15) before outlasting the Ottawa Valley Vikings Warriors in three sets (19-25, 25-19, 15-13).

Elimination day would pit the Chill against FCVC for a second time as the Sudbury girls duplicated their earlier victory, 25-10, 25-18, the team then earning a final four berth after sweeping aside the St Thomas Express Locos, 25-23, 25-21.

A semi-final loss to the Leaside Dragons (19-25, 12-25) from Toronto did little to discourage the Chill entry which turned up the Heat in the bronze medal match, battling their way to a dramatic 25-20, 19-25, 17-15 triumph over the Maverick Raiders from Ottawa.

Celebrating three days of hard work on the ride home last weekend were Julia Moulaison, Kaiyah Hasner, Morgan Gauvreau, Maya Chretien, Danika Drolet, Hailey Villeneuve, Brinley Evans, Kylie Breau, Alexie Houle, Naima Bella Tverdal, Sara Labelle, Luella Circelli, head coach Jason Radley, assistant coach James Gauvreau and team manager Heather Evans.