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www.oakvillebeaver.com Sports Oakville Beaver By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2006 Devils still team to beat but Titans ready to try One is firmly entrenched at the top of the volleyball food chain. The other is trying to join the lions and tigers at the top. Each season the Halton senior boys volleyball season begins with the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils and the Georgetown Rebels vying to become the champion. The two schools have combined to win the last nine senior boys volleyball titles. The remainder of the teams begin with the hope that this might be the year they can topple one of the perennial powerhouses. Among those hoping to track down the front runners this season are the Holy Trinity Titans. The Titans finished with a 62 record last season with both losses coming at the hands of the undefeated Devils. Their luck didn't improve in the playoffs as the Titans drew a semifinal date with Georgetown, also undefeated at that point, which ended their season. So while knocking off one of the court giants may seem like a daunting task, it is one that the Titans welcome. "It keeps the standard high. We know who the competition is and it gives us something to work toward," said Titans coach Lisa Waechter, after the Titans dropped a 25-18, 25-13 decision to the Red Devils in their season opener Thursday. "We're looking for a challenge and we have to make sure out game is up to their game." The Titans have six returning players on their 11-man roster, including Jacob Zagar, Rob Barsevich and Jason Field. That trio will play a key role in Trinity's development. "I think our strength is pure athleticism," said Melissa Olmstead, who coaches the team with Waechter. "That's a great asset because we can combine a lot of their skills to compliment each other." Olmstead said the key for the Titans will be improving their defensive play which in turn will allow them to set up their offensive plays better. The Titans proved capable of playing with the Red Devils at times. OT needed a late five-point run to pull away in the opening game. In game two, the Titans had closed the gap to 15-11 but the Red Devils took 10 of the last 11 points. That's the type of killer instinct that comes with experience and there is no shortage of that on the OT roster. They have starters Chris Cheung, Pat Coster, Matt Downer and Matt Grunwald back from last year's Halton champion team. In addition, Mike Chun and Dejan Cirovic have moved up from a junior squad that went 9-1. Both saw playing time with the senior team in tournaments last year. For OT, tournaments are not merely exhibition games. The "It keeps the Red Devils take standard high. them seriously with results having We know who an impact on seedthe competition ings for the provinis and it gives us cial championship something to tournament. work toward." The Devils have already played one Holy Trinity coach tournament, getting edged 20-18 in Lisa Waechter the third set of the quarterfinals at York University. OT is also enetered in a 24-team tournament in Edmonton. Among the teams in the Devils' pool is the defending champion from Norway. There are still some adjustments for the Devils to make. Grunwald, a power and left side player last season, has moved into the setter's role vacated by Jordan Stark, who is now playing for Dalhousie University. It's a key position, considering OT's style of play. "We run a fast offence and there's a lot of variety along the net," Seto said. That style helps offset a lack of height. While OT has a few players that stand 6foot, 1-inch, most dominant teams have at least one or two players 6-foot, 3-inches or taller. Seto says her players can make up for that with their athletic ability. "It's not so much how tall you are, it's what you can get to," she said. "We've played teams with taller players but we've still been able to block them." Most of the OT team plays on Seto's Oakville Titans club team. And she hopes to see them play a lot more this season, in league play and beyond. "We still feel we're one of the top teams," she said. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER DOUBLE-TEAMED TITAN: Holy Trinity's Brendan Gamble spikes the ball while Oakville Trafalgar's Pat Coster (3) and Matt Grunwald block in Thursday's Halton senior boys volleyball game. Oakville Trafalgar, the defending Halton champions, won 25-18, 25-13 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Rates (everyday after 3:00pm) (Friday to Sunday & Holidays) $65 $50 $50 $75 Twilight Rates now starting at 3pm