Flyers fall just short
The Eden Flyers senior girls volleyball team saw its season come to an end one win shy of a berth in the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Associations playdowns.
Playing the Westmount Wildcats Thursday at West Niagara in the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association AAA championships, the Flyers were defeated 3-1 (25-18, 17-25, 18-25 and 23-25).
For Hailey Czegeny, the match marked the end of her Eden volleyball career.
“It’s emotional, for sure. This team is so great and the coaches are phenomenal. It is a very supportive environment.”
She described her four years at Eden as hard-working.
Eden head coach Virginia Kent appreciated what Czegeny brought to the team.
“She is our co-captain and I have seen such intense commitment from her.”
Czegeny started the season on left side for the Flyers but switched to libero as a trickle down effect of two setters who suffered concussions.
“She has shown really good diversity of play and she’s always upbeat and trying to keep the energy up. She is positive, committed and she always building up the other players on the team.”
Czegeny was ready to play whatever role was required.
“I love playing anywhere. I just love playing volleyball and if I can be useful anywhere on the court I’m ready for it,” the Mountain Volleyball Club travel player said.
Playing libero wasn’t a stretch for her.
“I have always been a pretty decent defender so it’s my mentality of go, go, go and that next ball is mine. It’s the lib go, go mentality.”
Czegeny is hoping to play volleyball at the post secondary level and has already been accepted into her program of choice at Waterloo, Trent, Brock and Guelph Humber.
“Volleyball is kind of my getaway. It clears my mind and I just love working as part of a team.”
Westmount advanced to the final with a 3-0 triumph (25-13, 25-7 and 27-25) victory over the A.N. Myer Marauders. Eden advanced to the final with a 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-25 and 25-12) over Notre Dame.
Czegeny thought the team played pretty well Thursday.
“There were some moments where we got down on ourselves but we ended up pulling back through,” she said. “We played well and we talked well as a team. There were some balls that we could have picked up but it’s always going to happen in games.”
Kent had no complaints about her team’s play.
“We came out with really great energy in the beginning of this final match and our serves really kept the momentum going,” she said. “The energy of the girls cheering, celebrating and all the positives of playing together as a team, they brought that the whole game and I don’t think Westmount knew that that was coming. We had some incredible setting, we had some great attacks, particularly from the middle, but the energy in the last set of the match just fell short and we couldn’t keep that same momentum going.”
The Flyers opened the final game with a 7-0 lead, fell behind 23-18 before cutting the lead to 24-23. Unfortunately, Eden could get no closer.
Kent was thrilled with her team’s season.
“It was a positive season. Of course we had to make those switches (because of injuries) at the end, but we have seen such great leadership from the girls and we have seen the team come together and really want to do it together.”
Eden’s looking forward to next season with a strong returning group that will be bolstered by graduates from the school’s talented junior team.
“We are looking forward to the Eden volleyball to come,” Kent said.
