Sydenham HS Senior Girls Volleyball Win at EOSSAA

Feb 28, 2024

Sydenham High School Golden Eagle’s senior AA volleyball team dominated at the Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletics Association (EOSSAA) tournament at their home gym on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

The team won three games against their competitors: Cornwall’s Holy Trinity Falcons, Pembroke’s Bishop Smith Bishops and Perth’s Perth District Collegiate Insitute Devils earning their place in an exhilarating final game against the Bishops, securing the gold medal and title of Eastern Ontario Champions.

To qualify for EOSSAA, a team must be the highest-finishing team within their classification. SHS is a double A team based on its population and is part of the Kingston Area Secondary School Athletic Association and although they were the host school for EOSSAA, that did not grant them an automatic spot in the EOSSAA tournament.

Bryan English, head coach of the volleyball program and Phys ed. teacher at SHS, says he is incredibly proud of the hard work and positivity the girls showed last Thursday and throughout the season.

“The girls have shown an impressive dedication and attitude this season,” he said. “This is a well-deserved win and it feels good to see.”

Team captains Silka Olvet and Anna Barton are feeling confident going into OFSAA and are excited that their journey with high school volleyball isn’t ending just yet.

“I’m so happy that we get to play a little longer,” said Olvet. “It would’ve been so sad if we lost the final last week and weren’t able to go on.”

A life lesson that she is taking from volleyball into the real world after graduation is to brush off the tough things that happen.

“If things go bad just brush it off,” she said. “Keep going and have a bad memory on purpose.”

Volleyball is such a mental game that Anna Barton believes this attitude that the team carries is exactly what gives Sydenham’s team the edge.

“I think the fact that we can shake off anything gives us the edge,” she said. “Bad things happen all the time and you just have to get over it and I think we do that really well.”

In normal circumstances, this win would mean that the girls earned a spot at OFSAA, the final frontier for high school sports in Ontario. However, that spot was already guaranteed because SHS will be hosting OFSAA this year from March 4th to 6th. Coach Bryan English says it’s nice to earn the spot anyway.

“Winning EOSSAA feels good because it confirms that we belong at OFSAA and earned it as much as any other team there,” said English after their final game.

Olvet and Barton say they are excited to host OFSAA.

“It’s super encouraging knowing that our fans don’t have to go far to cheer us on,” said Barton.

From March 4th to 6th, SHS will be hosting 20 volleyball teams from all over Ontario and competing for the title of champion. Games will be dispersed between Sydenham’s two gyms and gyms at St. Lawrence College. Stay tuned for Frontenac New’s upcoming coverage of OFSAA.