Clarington Grizzlies
Volleyball Club
Clarington Grizzlies heading to Ontario Summer Games!!!
July 28, 2018
Off to Ontario Summer Games..
Four members of the Clarington Grizzlies' Volleyball Club are heading to the Ontario Summer Games in August. From August 2-5, Bronwynn, Brooke, Coach Bri and Coach Nick will be in London, Ontario, to participate in the games and represent Region 4. Bronwynn will be part of the indoor girls' team while Brooke and the two coaches will be part of the beach teams. Prior to the games in London, there is a training camp. Bronwynn will attend indoor camp at the University of Guelph from July 28-August 2 and Brooke, Brianna and Nick will head to Horseshoe Valley Resort from July 29-August 2 for the beach camp.
Selection to their respective teams and roles is a direct result of dedication and hard work. Over the past two seasons, the players have put in countless hours training and learning the game. Brianna has transitioned to coaching very well and continues to be a role model for all players within the club. Her dedication to coaching is remarkable especially considering that she is a full-time student at UOIT majoring in electrical engineering and maintains a 3.6 grade point average (that is an A average!). Coach Nick continues to dedicate himself to the sport and the club. He has worked hard toward growth; both as a coach and from a club perspective. In addition to being a coach within the club, he is also the club president.
On behalf of the Clarington Grizzlies Volleyball Club, all of its players and coaches, we would like to congratulate all four of you on your well deserved achievement. Best of luck in London.
Go Grizzlies!
Knighthawks Volleyball Camp - July 10-14 in Bowmanville - Only $80!!
July 16, 2018
The Clarington Grizzlies are proud supporters of the Knighthawks Volleyball Camp, which is in its 6th season!
The camp is for youth, female and male, born between 2004 and 2007. The camp runs from July 16th to 20th at Know Christian School in Bowmanville. It is led by qualified and experienced coaches with a low coach to athlete ratio. An emphasis is placed on fun while developing core and fundamental volleyball skills.
For any questions, please contact Paul at pkwink@bell.net or Nick at claringtongrizzlies@gmail.com.
Team Ontario High Performance Programs
December 07, 2017
An update regarding information about the various Team Ontario programs has been posted on the OVA web site.
Please take note:
Players born September 1, 2003, or later from our club are allowed to try out for the 14U Regional team that will participate in the Ontario Summer Games.
What you should know before trying out for a volleyball team - read article below
September 08, 2017
High Performance Regional Program
August 01, 2017
From July 17-22, Brooke Callan-Laing and Bronwynn Davies-Neira along with one of their 14U coaches, Nick DeFreitas, attended the high performance regional program for 14U female athletes in North Bay. The camp gathered athletes and coaches from across the province and allowed them to get first hand experience about what a Team Ontario provincial program might look like. Players and coaches were able to meet, work with and become friends with people from across the province. This likely would not be possible without the program.
Athletes and coaches all stayed in a residence building at Nipissing University and ate meals in one of the cafeterias. Training was done at Nipissing University and also at beach volleyball courts downtown North Bay. A typical day at camp included:
waking up between 6:00 and 7:00 am, catching a shuttle to breakfast, two hours of indoor or beach training, a classroom session (various topics), lunch, rest time for 60-90 minutes, indoor or beach training for two hours, personal time for an hour, dinner and evening activity. For coaches, meetings were sometimes dispersed throughout the day and evening meetings and practice planning took place after room checks; planning and discussions often went late in the night. Busy days but a lot of fun and learning!
From a coaching perspective, Coach Nick had this to say:
The be able to learn from, collaborate with and offer my own insights with so many great coaches and athletes from across the province was an amazing experience. It was a week I will not soon forget and I'm really looking forward to bringing what I learned back to the Grizzlies. It was such a great learning experience and being put in that environment was really amazing for such young athletes. It really gives them a goal to work toward.
Brooke and Bronwynn both felt like they gained a lot of experience and knowledge regarding beach volleyball. They enjoyed the differences that beach offers compared to indoors. Both players made new friends and enjoyed being in the company of players of a high quality. Bronny said, "I practiced with great players... It pushed me work harder" and Brooke had a similar comment, "I loved meeting and learning from so many girls from other regions." Both girls felt encouraged leaving the camp and it made them want to become better players. The camp also offered insight into what the future may hold for the girls and the possibilities of playing post-secondary volleyball or for Team Ontario in the Canada Games in 2021.
The camp was truly a great experience for all those involved. It was a great opportunity for Bronwynn, Brooke and Nick and they took full advantage of it. The camp would not have been such a great experience if not for camp director and beach coach, Fraser McIntosh. It was blatantly obvious that Fraser put a lot of time into the camp. Without his direction, athletes and coaches would not have come away with such a positive experience.
Upcoming Tournaments
Links to schedules and locations added when available
Map to RIM Park for all Provincial Championships
Friday, April 27 - Sunday, April 29 - 16U Provincials
Map to The Inn of Waterloo - 475 King Street N, Waterloo
2016-17 - Grizzlies add Brianna Strong to their coaching staff!!
The Clarington Grizzlies are very excited to announce that Brianna Strong has decided to join their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Brianna is a former Grizzly. She brings a strong pedigree of dedication, passion and skill with her as she enters this phase of her volleyball career. The current coaching staff is excited for Bri to bring her work ethic and setting knowledge to the program. Bri is currently enrolled in the Electrical Engineering program at UOIT. In addition to her skill set, she will undoubtedly be teaching the girls how to balance life with school.
On April 8-10 the 15U Grizzlies travelled to Waterloo for their provincials tournament. Their season was definitely a year of learning as it was the first year for all of the girls playing competitive volleyball. It was also a season that had its fair share of injuries including concussions, a broken arm and a torn ACL that required surgery. But alas, provincials were upon us and the girls were ready to prove what they learned.
The weekend got off to a good start with the girls compiling a 2-1 record with wins against Waterloo Tigers White and London Ignite and a loss to Oakville Thunder Blue. They carried this momentum into Saturday and finished with another 2-1 record. Wins on Saturday came against Evolution and Etobicoke 381, and a three set loss to Kingston VC.
Sunday was single elimination and the first team they faced was London Fury, who the Grizzlies rolled over winning in two sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-14. This took them to the semifinals where they would face Evolution once again. This time, it was Evolution who would get the upper hand. In the bronze medal match, the Grizzlies faced PVB from Toronto. The girls emptied their tanks but it wasn't meant to be as the lost the match. They came away with a very respectable fourth place finish!!
On April 15-17, the Clarington Grizzlies 18U team travelled to Waterloo for their provincials tournament. For many girls, this would be their last tournament of youth competitive volleyball which meant the weekend was extra special. The team spent all season preparing for this moment, so it was time to see what they were made of.
For a team known as slow starters, they came out the gates flying and defeated Markham Thunder two sets to zero. Next up was Galaxy from Toronto. The Grizzlies lost the match but it was very close and could have went either way. The final match of the day pitted the Grizzlies against their arch rivals, Durham Attack. After taking the first set 25-18, the Grizzlies rode the momentum into the second set and built a quick 6-1 lead. After a confrontation between the Durham Attack coach and the referee, Durham Attack launched a protest that would halt the match. After a lengthy delay, play resumed and the momentum the Grizzlies was lost. Play went back and forth until the Grizzlies were able to score a few points in a row and grab a slight lead. A lead that they wouldn't relinquish and they won the second set 25-21!
Saturday saw much of the same play from Clarington. Consistency, determination and team work. Their first match was against Hamilton Smash and after dropping the first set 25-21, the Grizzlies won the second set 27-25 to force a third. The Grizzlies proved to be too much for Hamilton and won the third 15-7. Georgian Cubs was the next opponent and Clarington was able to pull out a 2 set victory. Their last match of the day was against Northern Chill from the Sudbury area, and the Grizzlies continued their winning ways with another two set victory.
Sunday was single elimination and as fate would have it, Durham Attack was our opponent in the quarterfinals. From the very first point, it was obvious that this was going to be a hard fought battle with neither team ready to give the other an inch. Durham took the first set 25-18 and seemed to be ready to exact revenge on Friday's loss. However, the Grizzlies showed their resiliency and gutted out a 25-22 victory in the second set. On to a third and deciding set. The teams traded kills, aces and digs with neither of them being able to garner any momentum. The teams switched sides with Durham Attack up 8-6 but the Grizzlies quickly evened the score up and then took a slight lead. Although minuscule, this lead seemed to give the Grizzlies some momentum. Although Durham Attack fought back, Clarington was not ready for their day to end and grabbed the third set by a score of 15-12. Much respect was shown by both sides during the hand shakes after the game and it was a battle the Grizzlies will always be proud of.
The semifinals would pit the Grizzlies against Barrie Elites. The Grizzlies came out flying and won the first set. Barrie wasn't ready to call it a day and fought back to take the second set and force a third. The third set was a game of inches. In the end, Barrie was able to win the set 15-13 and move to the gold medal came. For Clarington, it was another matchup against Galaxy. Momentum sways in this match were frequent but it was not meant to be for Clarington, as the dropped a two set decision.
The coaches would like to congratulate the girls on an amazing weekend and season. The girls left the weekend with their heads held high, knowing they brought their best when it counted the most. It was a total team effort all weekend long with each girl having many moments of brilliance.
Grizzlies Forever!
2015-16 Grizzlies add Tess Newey to their coaching staff!!
The Clarington Grizzlies are very excited to announce that Tess Newey has decided to join their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Tess is a former college standout with Durham College, Canadore College and Brock University. She brings a strong pedigree of leadership, dedication, passion and skill with her as she enters this phase of her volleyball career. Most recently, she was an integral part of the Durham College women's volleyball team that claimed silver at the OCAA provincial championships.
Tess had this to say regarding starting her coaching career and being part of the Grizzlies' organization, "I am excited to be an assistant coach for the Grizzlies this year! I am passionate about volleyball... I have had many successes with volleyball and I am looking forward to helping you all succeed this season too!"
Congratulations to this team of wonderful young ladies who have worked extremely hard since the beginning of September. You fought as a united unit right until the final point. You supported each other and worked hard for each other. This is what being part of a team means. No medal could ever replace what you have accomplished this season.
Your coaches would like to thank you for all your effort this season and for always pushing forward. No obstacle was ever too big.
Go Grizzlies!!
On January 17, 2015, the Grizzlies played in their third 17U OVA tournament of the 2014-15 season. The tournament was hosted by the Upper Ottawa Valley Vikings in Pembroke, Ontario. Upon waking up to frigid temperatures reaching -27 degrees celsius, the Grizzlies wound up with their best tournament result to date. Pool play saw them split sets with Phenix and Eastern Ontario Volleyball Club (EOVC) and taking two sets from Mavericks Trailblazers to finish second in the pool behind Phenix.
In the quarterfinal match, they would meet a familiar foe, the Mavericks Twisters whom the Grizzlies lost to in the quaterfinals of their last tournament. The Grizzlies sought out redemption, and redemption is what they would find as they defeated the Twisters in two sets. This meant a semifinal match with the Ottawa Fusion. In a gruelling three set affair, the Grizzlies ended up on the positive side of a 16-14 scoreline in the decisive third set. This created a date with Phenix with the gold medal on the line. The Grizzlies battled hard, but it was evident that their semifinal match took a toll on the girls physicall and mentally. Silver would be the medal won on this day!
The girls exhibited tremendous heart and perserverance on the day and supported each other throughout the tournament. The ability to work as a cohesive unit, was a huge reason why the girls were able to accomplish what they did. Thank you to all the parents who made the trek to Pembroke and our sponsors this season for their generous contributions. Also, the team would like to extend a special thank you to the Upper Ottawa Valley club, Dave Dobson and all others involved for hosting a great event.
Congratulations ladies, you showed what you are capable of and what the coaches know you can do!!
17U Provincials - Division 2, Tier 2 - 4th Place
OVA 18U #4 - March 28, 2015 - 3rd Place
OVA 17U #4 - February 21, 2015 - 5th Place
OVA 18U #3 - February 14, 2015 - 7th Place
OVA 17U #3 - January 17, 2015 - 2nd Place
OVA 17U #2 - December 6, 2014 - 5th Place
OVA 18U #1 - November 29, 2014 - 5th Place
OVA 17U #1 - November 8, 2014 - 5th Place
Just wanted to show off two pumpkins that were carved for Hallowe'en 2014.
The best one is the volleyball carved by Allyson and
runner-up to Coach Nick for his Grizzlies pumpkin.
On behalf of all Clarington Grizzlies, past and present, young and old, the club would like to thank you for many years
of dedication and effort that you put into the Grizzlies. Tom and Kim have 'retired' from their duties with CGVC.
Best of luck with future endeavours and know you are always welcome.
Under new guidance, the Grizzlies will strive to build on the strong foundation that Tom and Kim built
and look to grow and expand the club where possible.
2016-17 - Grizzlies add Brianna Strong to their coaching staff!!
The Clarington Grizzlies are very excited to announce that Brianna Strong has decided to join their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Brianna is a former Grizzly. She brings a strong pedigree of dedication, passion and skill with her as she enters this phase of her volleyball career. The current coaching staff is excited for Bri to bring her work ethic and setting knowledge to the program. Bri is currently enrolled in the Electrical Engineering program at UOIT. In addition to her skill set, she will undoubtedly be teaching the girls how to balance life with school.
On April 8-10 the 15U Grizzlies travelled to Waterloo for their provincials tournament. Their season was definitely a year of learning as it was the first year for all of the girls playing competitive volleyball. It was also a season that had its fair share of injuries including concussions, a broken arm and a torn ACL that required surgery. But alas, provincials were upon us and the girls were ready to prove what they learned.
The weekend got off to a good start with the girls compiling a 2-1 record with wins against Waterloo Tigers White and London Ignite and a loss to Oakville Thunder Blue. They carried this momentum into Saturday and finished with another 2-1 record. Wins on Saturday came against Evolution and Etobicoke 381, and a three set loss to Kingston VC.
Sunday was single elimination and the first team they faced was London Fury, who the Grizzlies rolled over winning in two sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-14. This took them to the semifinals where they would face Evolution once again. This time, it was Evolution who would get the upper hand. In the bronze medal match, the Grizzlies faced PVB from Toronto. The girls emptied their tanks but it wasn't meant to be as the lost the match. They came away with a very respectable fourth place finish!!
On April 15-17, the Clarington Grizzlies 18U team travelled to Waterloo for their provincials tournament. For many girls, this would be their last tournament of youth competitive volleyball which meant the weekend was extra special. The team spent all season preparing for this moment, so it was time to see what they were made of.
For a team known as slow starters, they came out the gates flying and defeated Markham Thunder two sets to zero. Next up was Galaxy from Toronto. The Grizzlies lost the match but it was very close and could have went either way. The final match of the day pitted the Grizzlies against their arch rivals, Durham Attack. After taking the first set 25-18, the Grizzlies rode the momentum into the second set and built a quick 6-1 lead. After a confrontation between the Durham Attack coach and the referee, Durham Attack launched a protest that would halt the match. After a lengthy delay, play resumed and the momentum the Grizzlies was lost. Play went back and forth until the Grizzlies were able to score a few points in a row and grab a slight lead. A lead that they wouldn't relinquish and they won the second set 25-21!
Saturday saw much of the same play from Clarington. Consistency, determination and team work. Their first match was against Hamilton Smash and after dropping the first set 25-21, the Grizzlies won the second set 27-25 to force a third. The Grizzlies proved to be too much for Hamilton and won the third 15-7. Georgian Cubs was the next opponent and Clarington was able to pull out a 2 set victory. Their last match of the day was against Northern Chill from the Sudbury area, and the Grizzlies continued their winning ways with another two set victory.
Sunday was single elimination and as fate would have it, Durham Attack was our opponent in the quarterfinals. From the very first point, it was obvious that this was going to be a hard fought battle with neither team ready to give the other an inch. Durham took the first set 25-18 and seemed to be ready to exact revenge on Friday's loss. However, the Grizzlies showed their resiliency and gutted out a 25-22 victory in the second set. On to a third and deciding set. The teams traded kills, aces and digs with neither of them being able to garner any momentum. The teams switched sides with Durham Attack up 8-6 but the Grizzlies quickly evened the score up and then took a slight lead. Although minuscule, this lead seemed to give the Grizzlies some momentum. Although Durham Attack fought back, Clarington was not ready for their day to end and grabbed the third set by a score of 15-12. Much respect was shown by both sides during the hand shakes after the game and it was a battle the Grizzlies will always be proud of.
The semifinals would pit the Grizzlies against Barrie Elites. The Grizzlies came out flying and won the first set. Barrie wasn't ready to call it a day and fought back to take the second set and force a third. The third set was a game of inches. In the end, Barrie was able to win the set 15-13 and move to the gold medal came. For Clarington, it was another matchup against Galaxy. Momentum sways in this match were frequent but it was not meant to be for Clarington, as the dropped a two set decision.
The coaches would like to congratulate the girls on an amazing weekend and season. The girls left the weekend with their heads held high, knowing they brought their best when it counted the most. It was a total team effort all weekend long with each girl having many moments of brilliance.
Grizzlies Forever!
2015-16 Grizzlies add Tess Newey to their coaching staff!!
The Clarington Grizzlies are very excited to announce that Tess Newey has decided to join their coaching staff for the upcoming season. Tess is a former college standout with Durham College, Canadore College and Brock University. She brings a strong pedigree of leadership, dedication, passion and skill with her as she enters this phase of her volleyball career. Most recently, she was an integral part of the Durham College women's volleyball team that claimed silver at the OCAA provincial championships.
Tess had this to say regarding starting her coaching career and being part of the Grizzlies' organization, "I am excited to be an assistant coach for the Grizzlies this year! I am passionate about volleyball... I have had many successes with volleyball and I am looking forward to helping you all succeed this season too!"
Congratulations to this team of wonderful young ladies who have worked extremely hard since the beginning of September. You fought as a united unit right until the final point. You supported each other and worked hard for each other. This is what being part of a team means. No medal could ever replace what you have accomplished this season.
Your coaches would like to thank you for all your effort this season and for always pushing forward. No obstacle was ever too big.
Go Grizzlies!!
On January 17, 2015, the Grizzlies played in their third 17U OVA tournament of the 2014-15 season. The tournament was hosted by the Upper Ottawa Valley Vikings in Pembroke, Ontario. Upon waking up to frigid temperatures reaching -27 degrees celsius, the Grizzlies wound up with their best tournament result to date. Pool play saw them split sets with Phenix and Eastern Ontario Volleyball Club (EOVC) and taking two sets from Mavericks Trailblazers to finish second in the pool behind Phenix.
In the quarterfinal match, they would meet a familiar foe, the Mavericks Twisters whom the Grizzlies lost to in the quaterfinals of their last tournament. The Grizzlies sought out redemption, and redemption is what they would find as they defeated the Twisters in two sets. This meant a semifinal match with the Ottawa Fusion. In a gruelling three set affair, the Grizzlies ended up on the positive side of a 16-14 scoreline in the decisive third set. This created a date with Phenix with the gold medal on the line. The Grizzlies battled hard, but it was evident that their semifinal match took a toll on the girls physicall and mentally. Silver would be the medal won on this day!
The girls exhibited tremendous heart and perserverance on the day and supported each other throughout the tournament. The ability to work as a cohesive unit, was a huge reason why the girls were able to accomplish what they did. Thank you to all the parents who made the trek to Pembroke and our sponsors this season for their generous contributions. Also, the team would like to extend a special thank you to the Upper Ottawa Valley club, Dave Dobson and all others involved for hosting a great event.
Congratulations ladies, you showed what you are capable of and what the coaches know you can do!!
17U Provincials - Division 2, Tier 2 - 4th Place
OVA 18U #4 - March 28, 2015 - 3rd Place
OVA 17U #4 - February 21, 2015 - 5th Place
OVA 18U #3 - February 14, 2015 - 7th Place
OVA 17U #3 - January 17, 2015 - 2nd Place
OVA 17U #2 - December 6, 2014 - 5th Place
OVA 18U #1 - November 29, 2014 - 5th Place
OVA 17U #1 - November 8, 2014 - 5th Place
Just wanted to show off two pumpkins that were carved for Hallowe'en 2014.
The best one is the volleyball carved by Allyson and
runner-up to Coach Nick for his Grizzlies pumpkin.