Cyclones good as gold
The E.L. Crossley Cyclones are golden.
The Cyclones senior girls brought home the first volleyball gold in school history Wednesday with a dramatic win at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) AA championships in Amhurstburg.
The Cyclones, ranked No. 5, topped Widdifield Secondary School of North Bay 20-25, 25-20, 25-21,14-25, 16-14 in the championship final.
Crossley head coach Michelle Gibson admitted the final point and celebration afterward were a bit of a blur.
“We don’t remember! We need to go back and watch the tape to see what actually happened,” she joked.
Crossley assistant coach Jessica Kropac had a little clearer memory of the first minutes of celebration.
“It was amazing for the school. All the girls were in tears, tears of joy,” she said.
Kropac said the support the team received from the school was overwhelming.
“We’ve been trying really hard for the last three years to build school culture and during the entire game, teachers and students were sending us messages and photos of them watching the game,” Kropac said. “I don’t think these girls have ever felt more supported and supported from their community.
“It was really amazing for the girls and really amazing for our school to have something to work for together.”
The final was no easy task as Widdifield, who were ranked No. 2, pushed the Cyclones to the limit, coming within one point of the championship in the fifth and final set.
“You could tell at one point when it was at 14 some of the girls were on the court crying because they thought it was over but we said to them you have to have grit,” Gibson said. “(We told them) this is why you get up at 6 a.m. and practice. Put it together and play your game.”
Gibson and Kropac placed a great deal of importance on team chemistry this season.
“We have an amazing talent pool of really great players, but we spend a lot of time focusing on team bonding and trusting each other to do their job and working together as a team,” Gibson said. “We always said we’re going one point at a time and one game at a time.
“We just kept our sights on our final goal and they were able to do it.”
Kropac also gave props to the fans and parents who made the trek to support the team in person.
“A lot of parents came down and supported us. They brought food for the girls and we couldn’t have done it without them.
“It was an overall awesome experience.”
The Cyclones placed first in their pool with a perfect 3-0 record, then topped No. 4 ranked St. Joseph’s of Mississauga 25-20, 25-17, 25-17 in the quarter-finals, before defeating No. 3 ranked Franco-Cite of Ottawa 25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16 in the semifinals.
Now that it’s over, Gibson can finally relax.
“I don’t think I’ve slept all season so I’m going to get a good sleep for sure!”
Members of the Cyclones are: Emma Brownlees, Mya Newton, Taylor Dellemonache, Hannah Nicholls, Sydney Grummett, Emma Hilts, Jessica Konkle, Katherine Konkle, Pooja Senthil, Kaileigh Smith, Maddy Smith, Grace Teal and Emma Wintle.
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