Coach Confident After Star Setter's Departure

Coach Confident in Future After Star Setter's Departure
Posted on 12/20/2024
Volleyball

By Larry Moko

The Bishop Tonnos Titans are about to lose a star player, but their coach isn't particularly concerned.

In just over three weeks -- three more games for BT -- setter Avaya Maga leaves for the University of Oklahoma, in Norman, to begin her NCAA Division I volleyball scholarship.

On Thursday, Maga helped Tonnos to a 2-0 victory over the visiting St. Thomas More Knights. And with that result the two-time defending champion Titans improved their record to 7-0 in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic standings.
More, at 5-2, is in third place.

"Avaya is leaving after Christmas," Titans coach Alvisia Maga (Avaya's mother) said. "I'm carrying three other setters right now. We've been practising how to accommodate and adjust when Avaya is gone. I'm confident in my setters' abilities. I'm not worried about the setting."

That trio of future court quarterbacks is comprised of Breya Peters, Veronica Navarette and Ella Finochio.

"It's not much different than last year," the Tonnos coach pointed out. "In the first half of the season when we had to play all of those games without Avaya (while she attended a National Excellence Program in Richmond, B.C.) two setters came in and did a great job."

Tonnos has been to three consecutive city finals. And for the past two years the Titans won gold and silver medals at the provincial AAA high school championships.

The Tonnos set scores against More were 25-18 and 25-22.

"I've heard (Avaya) is playing three more games," Knights coach Jacob Stampone said. "I know with her on the court it's a completely different offence that they run.

"We'll be seeing a different type of BT. But they've got great players all-around, so who knows what is going to happen."

The Knights built an 11-3 lead in the second set before Tonnos rebounded behind leading point-getters Estelle Buist and Alyssa Cerovac.
"Estelle and Alyssa (Grade 11 students) are both left-side players who have been here since Grade 9," the BT coach said. "They hit well today and made smart attacking choices. They have high volleyball IQs and can be dominant in this league once they are on."

The Tonnos coach said the first set was an example of 'BT volleyball'.  "We played really clean, we served tough and executed our game plan," she said. "In the second set we kind of let up on the gas."

Stampone said More is a young and very talented team.

"We've got five Grade 9 or 10 players," he said.

A standout for the Knights was left side Tori D'Angela.

"For a Grade 9 athlete she's phenomenal," Stampone said. "She also does track. She can jump, she can hit and she can pass. She's one of our all-stars, for sure."

More and Tonnos faced each other a week ago in a semifinal at the Ancaster High School tournament. Tonnos won and went on to capture the championship.

"It was a pretty intense game," coach Maga said of the tourney contest. "It's always nice to beat them because we call them our Rymal Road rivals.

"The girls know each other and they're friends. They also play on the same rep teams. It's always a good, close game."

In other girls' senior volleyball action Thursday, Bishop Ryan (6-1) moved into sole possession of second place with a 2-0 victory over the St. John Henry Newman Cardinals. The St. Mary Crusaders edged the St. Jean de Brébeuf Braves, 2-1 and the ACMT Jaguars topped the Cathedral Gaels, 2-0.

Photos by R.F. (Bob) Butrym, RFB Sport Photography

More photos on the HWCDSB Athletics Facebook page here

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