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For the first time in school history the Glenview Park Panthers senior girls volleyball team is headed to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships.
They accomplished the feat by capturing the Central Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association title at St. David Catholic Secondary School against the host Celtics last week.
It didn't come easy though, as they fell behind in the semi-final and were on the brink of elimination. Down 19-8 and then 24-19, the team reeled off five match points to complete the comeback before defeating St. David in the final.
"The team was overwhelmed with excitement," head coach Jeff Shaw said of winning CWOSSA and securing a spot at OFSAA from March 3 to 6.
"When we were in the final I knew we were ready and the girls dominated most of the match."
Shaw has been preparing for this outcome for nearly five months.
It started with the recruitment of his longtime friend Lindsay LeBeau as an assistant coach, which came with an important message.
"I asked Lindsay, who I've known since we were five, to coach with me and told her to get ready for a long season," Shaw said.
"Five months later everything we've had planned has come true. These kids deserve to win."
Shaw knows no amount of effort from the coaching staff would result in victories without the dedication and effort from the players. From that perspective, this season has been like no other he's experienced.
"This team is the most fun team I've ever coached because they've all bought into what makes us great," he said.
"Each and every girl just wants what's best for the team. Our bench is up and loud during games, our starters trust each other and work so well together. More than anything though they all get along and want the best for each other."
Being the first volleyball team from the school to make it to the provincial championship, Shaw wants his players to take the time to enjoy the experience and take it all in.
That said, the Panthers are eyeing the ultimate prize.
"My expectations are to win OFSAA," Shaw said.
"This was our goal at the start of the season and in our last week of practice it's still the goal now."
The team is running a fundraiser at the school to generate the approximately $6,000 needed to cover the costs associated with their travel and stay at the tournament.
Anyone interested in donating can do so by stopping by the school's main office or online through canadahelps.org and entering "Glenview Park SS" as the fund and "Sr. Girls Volleyball OFSAA" in the notes.