Great start to 2018 for Tigers 16U Black

This past weekend, the Waterloo Tigers 16u Black team was playing up in only their 2nd tournament at the 17u level. Ranked 9th out of 12 teams going into the tournament, the pool they were in required them to play the top ranked team of Georgetown Impact 17u in their first match. The girls fought hard but eventually loss in a very respectably 20-25 & 19-25. Their next match was against the 8th ranked Mississauga Royals, and the team continued with their strong offensive play and winning the match in two straight sets 25-13 & 25-15.
Finishing 2nd in their Pool play gave them a favorable match-up against the Jr. Gryphons Red 16u team but meant they would need to play 4 straight matches to make the finals. These Tigers promptly disposed of the Guelph team in two straight sets 25-6 & 25-16 to set up a tough match against the 2nd ranked Etobicoke Titans Promethius in the quarterfinals.

For the remainder of the day, the Tigers had to rely on not only their strong offensive play, but primarily on their defensive system and never quit mentality. Winning their quarterfinal match 13-25, 25-16 & 15-10 against the Titans. The semifinals pitted the Tigers against 3rd ranked team and the eventual gold medalist, a very strong 16u team from Georgetown. Pushing the Impact team to 3 sets but eventually losing 25-19, 13-25 & 11-15.

Without any breaks throughout the whole afternoon, the girls really had to dig deep and find the extra energy and team spirit to help them pull through. In the Bronze game, the Tigers faced the 4th ranked team the Waves. Showing true grit and dealing with a few injuries throughout, the team fought back after losing the first set 20-25 to take the following two sets 25-22 & 15-9 and eventually claiming their Bronze medal.

Congratulations Tigers 16U Black!