Future of EYCI’s volleyball looking bright with talent
This year is a touchstone for East York’s volleyball program.
The junior girls team finished their regular season at 9-1, something coach Andrew D’Angelo said hasn’t been accomplished at East York since the school’s boys team went to OFSAA in the ’90s.
“It’s really encouraging to see that, especially a junior team,” he said. “So the future looks pretty bright for girls volleyball.”
And it seems the same athletic prowess evident in the junior girls basketball team is infiltrating other sports, like volleyball.
“Anytime you get athletic kids, it’s easy to build good sports teams,” D’Angelo said.
The power was present in Anastasia Grekos, who served the ball to an oft-struggling Western Tech Colts defence at a Feb. 4 game.
Due to a snowstorm the match was rescheduled as part of a double-header. Weather hijinks aside, the Athenas won 2-0 (25-13, 25-19).
“We’ve had a really good season,” Grekos said. “The whole team really bonds together nicely even though there’s an age difference.”
For the Colts, the loss ends their season. Co-captain Jennet Duong said the Green and White came out sluggish.
“We didn’t give much of an effort,” Duong said. “We didn’t cover or push through.”
Meanwhile, East York’s senior counterparts didn’t have as much joy on the court.
After a quick two sets for the juniors, East York’s seniors, buoyed by the power of Teshaunna Gray and Aisa Hypolite, took to the court against division leader Central Tech.
After two hard-fought first sets, the bottom fell out for the Athenas, Hypolite said.
“We all just crumbled at the end,” she said. “We didn’t pass … we just didn’t talk.”
The result was a 2-1 (27-29, 25-17, 15-8) loss, pushing East York into fifth in the South Region’s Tier 2 table.
With Eastern Commerce on tap next, the ladies will have to keep up the conversation and movement.
“Pass, pass, pass. Cover, cover, cover. And talk. That’s pretty much it,” Hypolite said.
As for the juniors, D’Angelo has his reservations about what lies ahead, but remains optimistic.
“The team we just played was primarily underhand serving and I don’t expect to see that again for the rest of the playoffs,” he said. “The focus will be passing, serve and just getting the opportunities to attack.”