It happened in the Gold Medal game between Pakmen 17U Gold and Phoenix Legacy (17U) at OVA Challenge Cup, on Dec 2 2023, in Oakville:
By DAVID WINER Special The Pakmen have drawn a line in the sand that may never be crossed. Competing at the Ontario Volleyball Association Beach Provincials, the Pakmen Volleyball Club prevailed with a flurry of gold medal performances that would confound the most optimistic prognosticator. “It was a record performance!” said ecstatic Pakmen director Kelly Smith. “These were the most Tier 1 gold medals at a Provincial Championship in OVA history.” Many of the 200 enthusiastic youngsters, who took to the six regulation sized courts this summer to participate in Elite Beach training, competed at an unworldly level resulting in 10 out of a possible 15 Tier 1 gold medal showings. “We are especially proud of head coach Jessy Satti after coming off a record-breaking indoor season,” said Smith. “His 18U boys won Provincials and Nationals, and he became the first coach to ever win three consecutive 18U national titles. Now, his male beach athletes performed so well, winning almost every single event, including several all-Pakmen finals, and in some cases, winning gold, silver and bronze. “Also, Arjun Selhi, who played for Jessy as an indoor player and was one of Jessy’s assistant coaches on the beach for three years is now in charge of the girls’ program and they also enjoyed a lot of success.” Assisting Satti on the boys’ side were Omar Abu Jazar, Saad Shaikh and Kadeem Clarke, while Selhi was assisted by Osemi Efosa. “Across the board on the boys and girls side we’ve had a tremendous amount of success, said Satti. “I give a lot of credit to the athletes, who make the conscious decision to stick with their teammates and do beach volleyball with the club. It creates a really good dynamic and team culture. There’s lots of opportunities for players to do different beach programs with other coaches, but I’ve found our athletes enjoy our beach program. It shows that the club is able to offer high quality programming 12 months of the year, and our results from indoor and beach proves that.” Setting the tone were Pakmen trailblazers Salma Abdelrazak on the girls’ side and the tandem of Misha Panasiouk and Aleksa Rakic on the boys’ side who worked overtime to collect two gold medals apiece. Panasiouk and Rakic mastered the 15U and 16U Tier 1 age groups that were chock-full of Pakmen teammates. “I think Misha and Aleks had a great summer. When they played up (16U) and won, it was definitely a special moment,” said Satti. “I think they showed people that the way beach volleyball is played can outweigh factors like size and athleticism. We make sure to teach beach the way we feel it should be played, and we’ve done that since the inception of our club. By getting athletes to buy into the training and structure, it puts them in a position to have a lot of success.” The 15U division, contested August 12-13 at Toronto’s Ashbridges Bay, was swept by Panasiouk and Rakic, followed by silver medalists Davis Hinshelwoods and Spencer Ham and bronze medalists Cooper Spehr and Jonathan Sousa. Pakmen inhabited two of the three podium placings in the 16U competition on August 5-6 with Yahia Elsayed and Chris Tang securing the bronze. The highlight of the tournament for both Panasiouk and Rakic was beating Elsayed and Tang in the 16U semi-final. “We lost to them in the final at an earlier tournament and they became the duo that we always wanted to play and beat,” explained Rakic. “While we lost to them in the first set, we fought through it and eventually won the third set 18-16.” “Even though we were ranked No. 1 entering the competition, the favorites were Yahia and Chris, who are both really good beach players and were also the tournament winners last year,” added Panasiouk. “We are also a year younger than them. But in a really close third game we were able to win, despite the fact the majority of the audience supported the opposing team.” A lot of planning had to go into Rakic and Panasiouk’s style of play considering there would be extra wear and tear on their bodies competing on back-to-back weekends. “Having to play multiple games a day with only about an hour of time for a break, it came down to how efficiently we used our time to rest and recover,” explained Rakic. “Sitting in the shade, and wearing towels and shirts to conserve our energy, was a must. After finishing each day we used our time to recover using ice, a roller and massage gun to prepare us for the next day and stay as fresh as possible.” However, the biggest reason for success, other than talent, is the rapport the two have developed. “Since Misha joined our rep team two years ago we’ve stayed close friends,” said Rakic, who attends Mississauga’s Applewood Secondary School. “Being able to connect easily from this friendship, it was easy to play together. All the time that we spent practicing on the beach and indoors made our basic skills better and helped us learn how to help each other through our struggles. If I’m struggling Misha is there to help me, and if Misha is struggling, I am there to help him.” Panasiouk, who attends Earl Haig in North York, says there’s a number of factors for their success. “The first is, of course, trust. We know that at the most crucial and stressful moment we will make the right decision that will lead the team to success. The second is communication. We are good at making our jobs easier and more efficient by communicating on the court; and the third is we are strong players in terms of set of skills no matter who the opponent serves, we know that we will definitely score a point.” “We are able to adapt and learn from our opponents,” added Rakic. “We understand how our opponents play and not only play to our strengths, but to their
By DAVID WINER
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
There’s some disagreement on whether it was John F. Kennedy’s father Joseph, or famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne who coined the phrase, but few would disagree that the Mississauga Pakmen 18U girls delivered on toughness when it mattered most during the OVA Ontario Championships at Waterloo’s RIM Park over the weekend (April 15-17).
While managing not to lose a match in the opening two days of pool play, the Pakmen did suffer lost sets at the hands of Oakville Thunder Blue and Defensa.
Entering the championships as the No. 1 seed, doubts may have cropped up regarding the team’s mental toughness.
But all questions were put to bed when the Pakmen proceeded to sweep Oxford Crush 25-19, 25-11, Defensa of Burlington 25-11, 25-17, and Aurora Storm Vortex 25-19, 25-16 in Sunday’s championship round to claim the gold medal.
“I believe the scores on the third day are a reflection of our improved performance level over a three-day span,” said head coach Michael Albert. “By the second day, our team was becoming a cohesive (unit) on and off the court with an increased level of focus, combined with consistent execution with their individual skills and team systems.
“On the third day,” added Albert, “our team’s performance reached its peak level of the season, which is every coach’s dream.
“When our girls hit the court in the finals, there was a clear determination from all 11 players to win a championship and their months of hard work paid off with a gold medal performance.”
No gold medal comes without hard work. And hard work starts in the trenches. That is why Albert had high praise for Lauren Veltman and Kristen Burns.
“There were too many key plays from individuals to mention,” said Albert. “The final was packed with amazing plays. I will say that our middle players significantly impacted our performance level with their blocking. Their blocking improved all weekend and it was at its best in the finals. Often people watching, may not appreciate the hard work and impact they have, but their impact on the team is deeply appreciated from my perspective. Our two middle players Lauren Veltman and Kristen Burns have been steady performers all year long and they didn’t disappoint.”
“It feels really good being complimented on my blocking,” responded Veltman. “I’ve really been working on my blocking and getting my technique right and it’s great seeing the results I get from it.”
The 6-foot-3 Brampton native, who is finishing Grade 12 at Woodbridge’s Toronto District Christian High School, will attempt to be a star blocker for the Ryerson Rams in the fall.
“I do take much pride in my blocking because it’s such a rush to feel that ball hit your hands and go straight to the floor. As a middle blocker you really have to commit to your block, the set can go either way so you really have to be patient to see where the ball is set and really commit to where you’re going.”
Unlike some other players, Veltman has a history of playing in the trenches. One could say it’s in her blood. Coming from a famous lacrosse family, Lauren herself has played the sport for many years. But unlike other Veltmans, she insists, “My favorite sport, of course, is volleyball.”
And now, after a lengthy absence from atop the podium, Veltman can enjoy the sport even more.
“The last time we won a provincial championship was when I was in 14U,” recalled Veltman. “The last three years we have gotten silver — we fought so hard for three years.
“It makes it even more special that it’s our last year and we ended it with something huge. Also I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with any other girls. It was so special to have all these girls by my side and to be able to call them all my best friends.”
One such friend is Burns, her fellow middle.
Nearly as tall at 6-foot-2, Burns grew up in Mississauga, attended Meadowvale Secondary School and competed for the Pakmen for five of the past six years, “and have enjoyed every year.”
But Burns will make a break from Mississauga in the fall when she attends the University of New Brunswick, where she will ply her trade as a left-handed middle, “which I know is unusual.
“I believe my coaches know that our ability to block well allows the rest of the team to set up the defense around it,” said Burns. “A big block at the right time, can be the same as a kill for us. Sometimes a block can really change momentum and get the other team to start changing their offense.”
Like Veltman, Burns feels winning the OVA title in their last year together is extra meaningful.
“Coming so close the past couple of years to winning, motivated the team that much more and we worked even harder this year,” she said. “Knowing this was our last chance for the gold, really allowed us to focus and play to the best of our abilities.”
And, in a way that crystallizes how united the Pakmen have become, the team chose to celebrate the night away before disbanding on the night of the championship.
“After the medal ceremony, we all took pictures together with the coaches, each other, and our families to remember the achievement,” said Burns. “We then all went out for a team dinner to celebrate, relax and enjoy the evening.”
Other members of the celebrating team include Janelle Albert, Julia Balatbat, Emma Armstrong, Julia Krebs, Cailin Wark, Melissa Langegger, Mady Timpany, Jessica Lam, Brenna McArthur and assistant coach Pat Daniels.
They will attempt to duplicate their feat in Edmonton at the National Championships May 5-8.
“The key to Nationals is to find a way to ramp up and peak a second time,” said Albert.
“This is not an easy task, but if there’s a group of girls that can pull it off, it’s this team. They are all good friends and they are a united group of strong dynamic personalities. When you have this type of supportive team with a common goal, you can achieve amazing results.”
