Hi Blaze, my name is Elise Michalowski, I was a former Blaze player but now am in my third year playing on the Marauders Varsity Volleyball team as the libero. As some may know, this year we won gold in the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) where the top 4 teams across Ontario from the East and West competed to capture the top placement in Ontario. Our final game against Toronto was a battle right to the end of the 4^th set. It was the most anticipated match of the season and believe me, throughout the whole match all our hearts were pounding! We had a strong offense and an even stronger defence where everyone on the team contributed. When the last ball hit the floor on Toronto’s court, victory was ours and not only did we capture the gold but earned the right to play at Nationals.   As many of you Blaze players know, Nationals is one of the highest level of competition for many athletes and it’s a privilege to compete among the best in Canada. Some of the teams we encountered there were UBC, UNB, Calgary, Sherbrooke, Saint Mary’s, Alberta, Manitoba and Montreal. Playing against and watching some of those teams play was amazing and the environment was different than we were all used to. We played on the sport court that was laid down in the middle of a hockey arena so we had fans and rivals completely surrounding us. There were cameras broadcasting live on television and through a live feed on the internet and photographers at each end of the court. The competition was tough but we placed 6^th in Canada overall. This was something that we were all prepared for. This prep did not happen just this year, it has been with each and every one of the girls since we saw someone else play volleyball and said, hey I want to do that too. For me it started out in 2001 -2002 season when my mom found a clipping from the Burlington post advertising for Burlington Blaze. After the tryouts and the first couple practices I knew that this was my sport. Blaze was a second home for me, practicing every Tuesday and Thursday for 3 hours at a time. I practiced with players and coaches that pushed me and taught me all there was to know about volleyball. I remember in my first couple years seeing the senior players practicing on the court beside and hoping that one day I would compete at a higher level like them. The road was never easy; most will encounter some injuries and at times may get down on themselves but with the support from your teammates and coaches there are victories and accomplishments to be gained. At the end of it all you will realize that it was all worth it and you wouldn’t have changed a thing. I will always stick by the Blaze family with Andy, and I hope to get back into coaching once I complete my last year at McMaster. Good luck to everyone on their up-coming tournaments!
            - Elise Michalowski

 

 

 McMaster Women's and Men's Teams both celebrated their OUA Championships and  trip to the CIS Nationals