By DAVID WINER For a second straight year, the Mississauga Pakmen 16U boys had to look on despondently, as their opponents posed for celebratory pictures with their sparkling OVA Provincial gold medals draped around their necks. And for a second successive year, the Pakmen were able to fixate on that nightmare and use it as incentive to focus on the next task at hand. It takes a special class of athlete to rebound from such emotional depths in a matter of a few weeks, yet the Pakmen were able to succeed in doing so, not once, but twice, winning the 2015 Canadian 15U championship in Calgary, and the 2016 Eastern Canadian 16U title this past weekend (May 20-22) at Waterloo’s RIM Park. The ability to rally back and excel against the country’s best sides is what has separated the Pakmen from the crowd in Canadian volleyball these past two years, making them the team to look out for when the 2017 indoor season kicks off. This time around, the Pakmen were able to get past the Condors of Chaudiere-Appalaches, Quebec, 25-12, 25-20 in the quarters, and Kitchener Predators Legacy, 25-13, 18-25, 22-20 in the semi-finals, before knocking off Gatineau, Quebec’s Griffons de l’Outaouais in the Eastern Canadian final, 25-13-, 25-19. “Yes, last year we came second at Provincials and first at Nationals. Same thing this year; second at Provincials, first at Nationals,” concurred head coach Jessy Satti. “It’s a bit of a strange pattern, we had a hard time two years in a row closing out Provincials, but we were able to bounce back for Nationals. “I give a lot of credit to the guys,” added Satti. “They hold their skills to a high standard and I think both times, after losing Provincials, they were able to push themselves to work hard for Nationals. “The key was to play with confidence and get the job done by playing our style.We pass the ball well and we run a good offence, so the boys did a good job preparing themselves for every serve that came over the net.” “Losing Provincials two years in a row was not easy,” admitted 6-foot-2 setter and team captain, Saad Shaikh. “At that point you can either just give up, or use it as motivation and work hard. We used it as fuel and worked hard. We used the loss as motivation. That motivation helped us win Nationals last year and this year.” “I think we, as a team, take defeat as motivation and not something that puts us down,” chimed in middle Arjun Selhi. “This sense of motivation helps us perform well at a high pressured tournament.” “The losses that we took at Provincials just motivated our team to train much harder and re-evaluate our strengths and weaknesses,” said 6-foot right side Vikas Ravendra. “We made changes where we felt were needed for the better of our team.” The emotional toughness the Pakmen displayed in order to rebound from Provincial disappointment was never more prevalent in the semi-final against Kitchener. “The proudest moment was in the semi finals (against the Predators),” recalled Satti. “We were down 6-12 in the third set, and the guys fought back to win the match 22-20. The guys stuck together as a team and didn’t give up. As a coach you can’t ask for a better moment than that.” The players’ opinions vary on how important this Eastern Canadian title was in comparison to beating this country’s best from coast-to-coast 12 months earlier in Calgary. “Last year the team that beat us (Durham Attack Black) was at the same Nationals, thus winning (there) gave us a more superior feeling,” said Selhi. “However, this year, we had to work our hardest being down 3-8 in the third set of semis. I feel we worked harder for this title.” Meanwhile, winning on a national stage proved more gratifying for Ravendra. “Winning this year was an amazing accomplishment, but didn’t feel anywhere close to last year’s National gold medal,” said Ravendra, who attends St. Marcellinus Secondary School along with setter Gurnoor Bath and middle Matthew Powell. “In Calgary we had the chance to bring home a gold medal, not just for our club, but for the province of Ontario.” As for Shaikh, he takes equal satisfaction from both gold medals. “Winning this year almost feels the same as last year because almost all the guys from last year are on the team this year and it feels great knowing I have two National titles with the guys I love playing with.” One thing all three players can agree on was the excellent job Satti did in refocusing the team on Nationals after such a disappointing Provincials.   “We have great coaches who believe in us,” said Shaikh, a Grade 10 student at Mississauga Secondary School. “The reason for our success is everyone having the same competitive mindset. We were all focused on winning and wanted to take care of business.” “Our team is successful due to our amazing coaching staff,” agreed Ravendra. “They dedicate a lot of their own time to design drills that will help improve our areas of weakness. Another big factor for our success, that many people don’t notice, is how deep our team is. Everyone on our roster can come in at any given moment in a game and make a positive impact.” “The coaches understand each and every athlete and know the sport (intimately),” added Selhi, “helping us succeed. The team’s chemistry is also very good. We know each other, not only as athletes, but as brothers. We all go to schools close to one another with at least one teammate (as school mates).” Three players, in particular, stood out in Waterloo in the eyes of coaches and officials. “Everyone played great,” said Satti. “We had two tournament all stars, Avy Bath and Matthew Powell, and the tournament MVP Arjun. Those three guys really helped lead the way. Vikas (also) played a key role in leading us

By DAVID WINER The best way to face a storm is head on. Veering away from it will only result in capsizing. Mississauga Pakmen didn’t have to consult a manual on marine navigation when preparing for this indoor volleyball season, they just needed to trust in one another and weather the storm together. And united, as one, the club’s 15U boys swept both the Ontario Volleyball Association and Eastern Canadian Championships in dramatic fashion over arch nemesis, Aurora Storm RipTide. While the Pakmen faltered against the Storm in the preliminary round of the Eastern Canadians, and needed the maximum three sets to win both gold medals, they found a way to prevail in the face of the Storm in crucial moments. Credited for steering the Pakmen through the turbulence is head coach Kelly Smith. While the scores clearly indicated there was little separating the Pakmen from the Storm throughout the indoor season, including the Ontario Championships April 22-24 and Eastern Canadians from May 13-15 at Waterloo’s RIM Park, Smith felt the difference was, “Our guys don’t give up. As long as you don’t give up, you are always a threat. “Storm is an excellent team and we have battled back and forth with them all season,” added the club’s founder and President. “We beat them in a hard-fought, come-from-behind match at Provincials. We lost to them in pool play at Nationals, but we were playing without our captain and leader, Pete Rugosi.” Rugosi turned and sprained his right ankle against Toronto’s Patriots VC in the third match of the opening day of play and could be seen court side in a walking boot and on crutches during the second day of action when Pakmen suffered their lone loss. “I was jumping up to block a ball and when I came down, I landed on the setter’s foot from the other team who had put his foot over the line,” explained Rugosi. “So (after seeing the doctor), I sat and cheered my team from the bench. “But I was really anxious and wanted to play. (Finally) on Sunday, I thought I could play through the pain since my ankle was feeling better.” But, despite wearing a brace to help support the ankle, Rugosi admitted, “I could barely handle the pain at the beginning of the day. But as the day went on, the less I felt my ankle because of the adrenaline pumping through my body.” “When (Peter) returned to play in the playoffs,” explained Smith, “it made a huge difference. He’s an unreal competitor and he makes every player more confident on the court.” “I knew how much this medal would mean to our team, and me, so I wanted to push hard,” recounted Rugosi. ” I just ignored the pain as best as I could and played my best. We set the middles a lot so that I wouldn’t have to cut out every time to spike since I couldn’t run that fast.” Rugosi’s comeback and stellar play certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Volleyball Canada’s organizing committee who named him the most valuable player of the Championship, while teammate Saqib Shaikh was named to the National All-Star team. Volleyball Canada awards one all-star selection to each of the fourth and third-place teams, and two to the second-place team, while awarding one selection to the gold medalists, coupled with the MVP award. “He was the standout player at the tournament — serving, attacking, blocking, passing and digging — in every area,” said Smith. “I feel very humbled being named tournament MVP because it’s a huge award and every one played amazing on my team so it must have been tough to choose the MVP,” said Rugosi. “Being named National All-Star was a big honour,” conveyed Shaikh of his selection. “Not too many players win this award, so being named (an All-Star) was very special. I felt like my leadership and playing left side and right side led to me getting this award.” “All the guys played well,” added Smith. “Our two setters, Ashraf Shaikh (Saqib’s cousin) and Trent Ketrzynski, (also) deserve a lot of credit because they work hard, have good skills, make good decisions on the court, and always put the team first.” Ashraf Shaikh appreciated the positive sentiments from his coach. “I feel like the talent and hard work that we possess on this team is unbelievable. Our coaches are very good at keeping us focused all the time. (Coach Smith) always stressed to us about hard work and where it will lead you on and off the court. The team trust and bond we have is also unbelievable. “Our team was very confident going into both Provincials and Nationals. But that confidence didn’t just come from nowhere,” said the 5-foot-9 Ashraf Shaikh. “We had a very talented and hard working team that always gets the job done no matter who is on the court. (In) beating Storm in most of the tournaments that we played, we thought it was very realistic that we would beat them again.” The Grade 9 Mississauga Secondary School student added the team’s success stems from “the great chemistry we have on and off the court. We always trust in each other to get the job done. “I feel (as a setter) I should be leading my team and helping everyone out,” continued Ashraf of his responsibilities to his teammates. “Setters do not get most of the credit, but I feel if the setter is not making good decisions and not setting well, then the team will not have success. The attributes that I possess come from my coaches and the person within me. My coaches have taught me how to make good decisions when I am setting, and the work ethic and team first attitude comes from within, as I realize that hard work will take me a long way in life and a team first attitude will always benefit the team more as a whole. You become a team first

By DAVID WINER They call the road on which the Mississauga Pakmen practice facility is situated, Champions Way. At least if the city’s biggest cheerleader Hazel McCallion was still Mayor, the Rathburn Rd. street signs would have already been taken down and replaced in recognition of the winningest club in Mississauga, and perhaps all of Ontario. With the OVA Ontario Championships having just wrapped up on Sunday (April 24), the Pakmen Volleyball Club absolutely dominated on the boys’ side, reaching the championship final in all six age groups against the best club teams in the province, finishing with four gold and two silver medals. Pakmen’s girls didn’t fare too shabbily either, capturing gold and silver medals, for good measure, giving the club a final tally of five gold and three silver medals in 13 contested age groups. “I am proud of all our teams and coaches and the leadership our (club) head coach, Orest Stanko has provided,” asserted 15U head coach and club founder Kelly Smith. “Pakmen has been the top club in Ontario for several years now, but this year was our most dominant season to date. Winning U18 girls and boys was especially gratifying because the focus is to get the athletes to peak at that age group.” And, if the medal count wasn’t enough, the Pakmen were deserving of an Emmy for the best drama of the championships on the final day of play, when they, and Aurora Storm RipTide, took to the floor in the 15U boys’ division final. Having just survived a come-from-behind, three-set semi-final against Toronto PVB just an hour earlier, the Pakmen were at it again, tormenting their fans by losing the opening set 23-25, and edging the Storm 26-24 in the second set, before clinching the title with a 15-13 decision. “I felt we made too many unforced errors in both those sets and gave it to our opponents,” revealed Smith in hindsight. “But I knew the boys were not going to roll over and concede defeat, so I was confident we could still win. As long as you don’t give up, you can always win.” “It really was a thriller,” agreed middle, and Oakville native Luca Nastase. “I think that it was our focus that enabled the team to battle the last two games. We have always done a lot of drills that last long and (the coaches) make sure we can execute the basics even when we are tired and bored.” “We kept cool by talking to each other and staying focused,” added 5-foot-11 right side Talha Kahloan. “Focusing on the basics helped get our minds off of all the stress and all we had to do was execute using our skill. With the support of our team, and focus, we handled the semis and finals fairly calmly.” Along with focus, another key, according to Smith, was having no discernable weaknesses. “We had one advantage over every team at Provincials, I feel,” said Smith. “We have the most depth on our team. Most teams have one strong line of six good players and maybe one or two good role players and that’s it. We have 13 strong players and because of that, we were able to play everyone fairly equally throughout the tournament so we were not as fatigued as everyone else. “We were okay emotionally too, because when you are physically rested, you are better prepared to battle in those close matches.” “Since we have a strong line up of 13 players that are all equally good, we could play anyone and expect the same outcome,” chimed in Kahloan, a Grade 9 Mississauga Secondary School student. “We could rest the starters because we had multiple players that could play multiple positions. This allowed us to never be tired and always be fresh and ready for any situation.” The Pakmen opened the tournament with straight-set sweeps over Niagara Rapids Black (25-21, 25-20), Kitchener Waterloo Predators (25-10, 25-19) and Markham Revolution (25-11, 25-16). The second day of pool play was much the same, with the Pakmen blanking Durham Attack (25-6, 25-12), Ancaster’s Mountain Athletic Club (25-8, 25-21) and Markham Venom Vipers (25-12, 25-16). After a quick start to the playoff round on Sunday, with a 25-12, 25-15 win over London Heat, the Pakmen edged PVB 21-25, 25-16, 15-5, before taking to the floor again to beat Aurora, 23-25, 26-24, 15-13. “I think against, PVC, we felt we just had to limit our unforced errors and we would win. But against Aurora, we knew we would have to, both limit our unforced errors, and play at the top of our game, because they are such a strong team,” explained Smith. ” They serve, pass, attack and block very well, so they are a difficult team to defeat.” “There was no perfect ending in my mind,” Kahloan recalled thinking at the time. “The only perfect outcome was we come out on top. And that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t expect us to win two matches straight, our rivals are highly skilled. “Turning points in the semis was when Mark Dildar went on an 11 (point) serving run,” felt Kahloan. “He scored 11 points in a row in the third set, which sealed the game. In the finals the turning point was in our huddle. Everybody brought energy after losing the first set, and we knew what needed to happen.” “The turning point in the semi and the final was the second set,” said Nastase. “In the first set we weren’t making a lot of mistakes, but we were tentative. In the second set we came in with more intensity and focus. We weren’t afraid to swing all out anymore and we were definitely more hyped.” “Before the game coach Smith was explaining to us why teams break down all together and that is because when one person makes a mistake, all the other people worry about him instead of focusing on what they are supposed to do,” explained the 6-foot-3 Nastase, who

By DAVID WINER The Pakmen 13U boys’ volleyball team ended their season on a high note last weekend (May 15-18). With no National Championships scheduled for 13U teams, the Pakmen will have to wait another calendar year to compare their abundant talent and skill against the rest of the country. But based on their performance at Waterloo’s RIM Park last week against this province’s best squads, the Pakmen are an impressive group, and they own OVA Ontario Championship gold medals to prove it. The Pakmen won 18 of their 19 sets to go undefeated in nine matches, concluding with a straight-set 25-19, 25-18 win over Markham Wildcat Tigers in the gold medal finale. The Pakmen began medal play on day three with a 25-6, 25-17 win over MAC in the quarters, and a 25-13, 25-22 victory over Ottawa Maverick Diamondbacks in the semi-finals. Their only defeat came on the first day of action against Barrie Elites. Opening with straight-set wins over Waterloo Tigers Black and Milton Edge, Pakmen were tripped up by Barrie, 25-19, before responding with 25-14, 15-6 victories. If anything, that solitary loss, followed by their comeback victory, demonstrated the team’s immense depth. “Friday during the final match of the day, the starting line lost the first set,” explained head coach Aleksander Mamuzic. “This could have left us with a second-place finish, but the second line really pulled it together, took control of the game, and won by a large margin.” In the 13U and 14U age groups teams compete with a fair play rule, meaning those players sitting during the first set and comprising the second line, must play in the second set. “After a bit of a slow start on the first day,” continued Mamuzic, “there wasn’t a single ball that hit the ground uncontested. The boys have a great deal of skill, but when it came down to it, they outworked every other team in the province.” While Mamuzic stressed that depth carried the day for the Pakmen, he had special praise for Uzair Shaikh, Matthew Rugosi and Anshul Keswani. “Shaikh led the team offensively and scored some crucial points at the start of nearly every set; Rugosi dominated the back court taking control of nearly every free ball and getting the team some big digs; and Keswani took control of the second line always being the loudest even when the match was close, or they lost a point.” Kenneth Mann and Lukash Darewych also excelled at key moments in Mamuzic’s eyes. While Shaikh, Mann, Rugosi and teammate Carter Chan are relatively new to club competition, they are very familiar with the Pakmen, having followed them since they were tykes. All four share a common bond of having siblings on older Pakmen teams. “I have been around Pakmen volleyball for a very long time as my two older brothers Zaid (17U Pakmen Black) and Ashraf (15U Pakmen Gold) play (as setters) in higher age groups,” said Shaikh. “I got started in volleyball because of my two older brothers. They had attended David Leeder Middle School where the founder of Pakmen Kelly Smith is also a teacher. Kelly Smith had introduced the game to my brothers and also me personally. The first time I had ever played volleyball was when I was in Pakmen’s champions league in Grade 4. My brothers have been a great motivation to me as a volleyball player and also as a person. I also truly thank Kelly Smith for introducing and trusting me and my brothers in the game of volleyball.” But watching an older brother from the stands is dramatically different than being in the thick of the action. “This is by far the greatest highlight in my volleyball career for sure,” added the 5-foot-7 Shaikh. “Winning Ontario championships is always a player’s dream in Ontario and winning provincials in my first year in the OVA is an amazing and very humbling experience. “It feels great to be called the best 13U volleyball team in Ontario and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our coaches and parents,” added the Grade 7 David Leeder student. “Pakmen has been the most dominating club in Ontario for many years now,” said Shaikh. “Going into provincials we were very confident in ourselves, because we had superior coaching from Aleks, Harmeet (Sangha), Franco (Rugosi) and Ed (Chan). They had pushed me, and all of my teammates, to the greatest of our abilities so that we had the greatest chance to win. Also, I feel like we were the best prepared team at the tournament and that is also due to our great coaching. Before every game our team was very focused.” And Shaikh hopes this is just the beginning of the medal count for he and his teammates. “I plan on staying with Pakmen for my whole OVA career and try to win as many provincial and national titles as possible,” said Shaikh. “I feel like next year all of the teams in our age group will improve greatly, but me and my team feel very confident going into next year to win a provincial and national title.” Like Shaikh, Mann was introduced to the sport by his older sibling. “I got started in volleyball because my sister Ava plays on the Pakmen 15U team and she always needed someone to pepper with. I also developed my skills from my dad (Kevin), whose been coaching me for a couple years and I find it fun peppering with him.” While this is also Mann’s first dip into club ball, the Burlington native did participate in summer and rep camps offered by Pakmen. But like Shaikh, it’s one thing to cheer a brother, or sister on, it’s quite another matter to have personal success on the court. “This has been my greatest highlight thus far,” said the Kilbride Public School student. “It was a great experience playing in provincials with my friends and teammates. Being able to participate in, and win the biggest

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