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Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca from 2 .4% ·Full MLS ·Full Service Call ADAM CAMPBELL Broker 905-844-4444 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2007 25 Hawks roll to AAA crown... Loyola attones for last year's volleyball disappointment By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF They brought their school its first girls' volleyball title -- a junior championship in 2005. They posted a 15-1 record in senior play over the past two seasons -- including an undefeated 8-0 mark this year. And yet the Loyola Hawks senior girls' volleyball team still felt it had something to prove. Upon hearing the words `last year', Rachel Vukson, the Hawks' six-foot right side hitter, didn't even need to hear the rest of the question. "Yeah, we choked," she said bluntly, referring to the team's defeat at the hands of the Acton Bearcats in the 2006 Halton senior girls' final. "We should have won but we didn't. Half the team was in Grade 10 last year. It was intimidating and there was a lot of pressure." The Hawks learned from the experience and, Friday, returned to take care of some unfinished business. The Hawks swept the Assumption Crusaders in two games in the Halton AAA final at Sheridan College to bring Loyola its first senior girls' championship. "We wanted to come back and win it," said Christine Shaw, who missed last year's final. "We knew (Assumption) had some really strong hitters but our blocking helped us out a lot." Though the Crusaders stuck with the Hawks in the early going of the opener, the Hawks pulled away to earn a 25-12 win. Sensing victory, the Hawks left nothing to chance in the second game. While the Hawks have the ability to overpower teams with a wealth of strong hitters, it was their defensive play at the net that carried them to victory. Vukson, Shaw and setter Chanelle Prevadovich -- playing against her former team -- stuffed numerous Crusader attacks. Leading 14-11, Vukson, a Grade 11 student who is among the top university recruits in Canada for her age, served up eight consecutive points that put the game out of reach as the Hawks went on to a 25-15 victory to wrap up the title. Loyola was scheduled to play Hamilton's Bishop Ryan yesterday afternoon, with the winner moving on to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) tournament in Midland March 6-7. Results of that game were not available at press time. ...and Raiders edge Pats for AA title BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER UP AND OVER: Rachel Vukson (right) of the Loyola Hawks attempts to tip the ball over the block of Assumption's Natalie Fisher during Friday's Halton high school senior girls' volleyball AAA final at Sheridan College. Loyola earned its first senior girls' volleyball title in school history with a straight-set victory. This time, the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders didn't panic. Aquinas overcame a subpar second set in Friday's Halton high school senior girls' volleyball AA final at Sheridan College, rebounding in the third and decisive game to edge the Lester B. Pearson Patriots 15-13 and claim its first region- al senior title in three years. A year ago, the Raiders were in a similar position against the Patriots, having won the first game in convincing fashion before dropping the second one, and wound up losing the match. Friday, however, Aquinas built an early lead in the See Experience page 26 2007 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE SIX WEEKS OF GENERAL CAMP DATES TO CHOOSE FROM PLUS 2007 RANGERS F.C. CAMP SEE WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS CONVENOR/COACH/SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE CONTACT JOY @ jneefs@oakville-soccer.on.ca for further information www.oakville-soccer.on.ca Oakville Soccer Club A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club Sponsored by: OFFICIAL RETAILER OF THE OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB 504 Iroquois Shore Rd., Unit #11, Oakville, On L6H 3K4 Tel: 905-849-4436 Fax: 905-849-3677