SDSSAA (Sudbury District Secondary Schools' Athletic Association) will be sending a pair of teams to OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) boys basketball championships next week - but Sudbury girls' volleyball was not about to take a backseat.

SDSSAA entries not only went two for three in terms of the NOSSA senior banners but also managed a clean sweep at the “A” / “AA” / “AAA” junior levels.

The Lockerby Vikings made amends for a loss in the city finals, upending the Manitoulin Mustangs in four sets with a NOSSA banner on the line.

With Team Ontario talent Cassidy Warren out for the year, the balance of the Vikes’ lineup had no choice but to elevate. Just three years removed from her arrival from Chile to Canada, 15 year old left side Rayen Cabezas was among those who took up the challenge.

“I was 12 years old the first time I touched the volleyball – but my city was not a huge city and the volleyball was not very competitive,” said Cabezas. “In my country, volleyball is not a very popular sport either.”

That all changed as she and her family spent a year in Toronto, the young teenager joining up with the Titans Volleyball Club, where she won a national title. And still there was so much more to absorb as she arrived in Sudbury, splitting her past two winters between her commitments to the Northern Chill Volleyball Club and Lockerby Composite.

“When I got here, I saw many skills that I had to learn and many strategies,” noted Cabezas, always suiting up as a middle until making the transition this year to left side. “There was way more in volleyball that I did not know.”

Lockerby leaves for Cambridge next weekend as first timers to the provincial high-school championships look forward with anticipation. “I am expecting really good volleyball there,” said Cabezas. “It’s not going to be easy; that’s the point of OFSAA – but it’s going to be fun.”

Lockerby Vikings: Cassidy Cloutier; Rebecca George; Lorelai Van Drunen; Brooklyn Melanson; Kendra Crew; Bailey MacLennan; Maili Jutila; Cassidy Warren; Rayen Cabezas; Hazel Hendsbee; Maggie Polischuk; Brooke Rennie; Lilah Selby; Brinley Evans; coaches Stephen Beausoleil; Dilyn Gilbert-Leduc

Perhaps no local team is looking forward to the March 9th to 11th OFSAA tournaments more than the city champion Confederation Chargers. OFSAA “A” volleyball has been kind to SDSSAA teams, with the Macdonald-Cartier Panthères boys winning gold in November and the Champlain Requins earning silver one year ago this time at the girls event.

The talent-laden Val Caron crew did not drop a single set in walking away as NOSSA “A” champions, sweeping past Espanola, White Pines and the Algonquin Barons in back to back matches at Lockerby. The Chargers will be in familiar territory as they look to return home with some hardware, part of the 20-team field that will gather in North Bay.

Seedings have not yet been released but it will be a shock if the Confederation girls do not find themselves ranked in the top three, the team likely the best bet to return from OFSAA next week with a medal.

Confederation Chargers: Mara Kahl; Sophie Marshall; Morgan Gauvreau; Avery Gauvreau; Malin Brunette; Kaylee Baillargeon; Alexia Savoie; Harlym Triff; Kyra Lefebvre; Ava McLinton; Lex O’Dell; Elizabeth Lynds; coaches Craig Thomson; Kennedy Ward; Ashley Ruddick; Rylee Thompson.

The St Joseph Scollard Hall Bears spoiled a Sudbury troika, besting the Lo-Ellen Park Knights in the “AAA” final, though Lo-Ellen did manage to garner the NOSSA Junior “AA” banner with a three set win over the St Mary’s Knights from Sault Ste Marie.

Lo-Ellen Park Knights (Jrs): Jillian Fitzgerald; Kendra Vanwallegham; Ella Kolari; Alexa Dubreuil; Macy Heywood; Aila Lavoie; Isabella Palladino; Mila Beljo; Lisa-Marie Ngouabe; Gia Rocca; Sunny Dunlop; Mattia Mullen, coaches Sherry Green; Heather Hastie

Joining the Knights atop the junior girls volleyball podium were the Lasalle Lancers, AAA champs thanks to a hard fought win over the Superior Heights Steelhawks.

Overcoming a three set game one loss at the hands of the St Joseph Scollard Hall Bears (25-20, 19-25, 14-16), the junior Lancers took care of the point differential versus Jeunesse-Nord (25-15, 25-8) before picking up a key win over Superior Heights (23-25, 25-11, 15-12) to close out round robin play.

The rematch was everything one could hope for in a NOSSA final as Lasalle prevailed 25-18, 26-24. "The energy in that gym was wild," noted Lancers head coach Leeza Connor. "We couldn't have won without the support from our bench."

"They helped keep our team locked-in and helped push them through when they were down."

Lasalle Lancers (Jrs): Eliza Rybiak, Truleigh Boivin, Raya Asare-Corbiere, Blaire Rickard, Kennedy Nelles, Kaitlyn Forigo, Hayley Holmes, Rya Aubertin, Kinley Booker, Miley Peachman, Sovia Borota Thompson, Kayleigh Douglas, coaches Leeza Connor, Jaden Martin

The Horizon Aigles juniors came from behind to get the better of the Algonquin Barons (NOSSA “A” Jr final), taking the third set of the finals 17-15 after being down 10-2.

Horizon Aigles (Jrs): Jillian Martin; Melody Lavergne; Anabelle Denommé; Tessa van Drunen; Anika Rhéaume; Macie Barlow; Gabrielle Fantin; Makenna Messier; Peyton Tessier; Zoé Doucet; coaches Patrick Gervais; Christine Lamarche

Finally, with only six players on the roster, the Champlain Requins managed to get past Nipissing West in the NOSSA "B" final.

Champlain Requins: Olivia Lachapelle; Calixa Lalonde; Alexie Houle; Leah Johnston; Addison Peplinski; Sophie Blais; coach Dan Trepanier