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From only $299 Tykes $365 Atom and older Best value in Oakville! Great fun! Beginners welcome. Kids 7-14 Register online now! www.haltoncowboys.com 25 Friday, A ugust 19, 2011 O A KVILLE BEAVER w w w .insideH A LTO N .com JUMPING FOR JOY: Oakville's Sarah Williams, left, and Victoria Gorrell take a celebratory leap off the podium after winning the girls under-14 Division 2 gold medal at the provin- cial beach volleyball cham- pionships. They will com- pete in the national cham- pionships Aug. 26-28. Williams, Gorrell team up for volleyball gold By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF They were champions on differ- ent teams so it was only natural that when Victoria Gorrell and Sarah Williams joined forces, they would find themselves atop the podium again. Yet, not everyone agreed. Seeded 29th going into the Ontario Volleyball Association girls under-14 division 2 championships, the pair won seven straight matches to take the gold medal. Gorrell and Williams teamed up midway through the summer when Williams partner wasnt available for a tournament in Cobourg. When they won the event, they decided to keep the pairing together. Their low seed- ing was in large part due to the lack of tourna- ments together, they only played in two prior to p r o v i n c i a l s . Playing the tour- naments third seed in the final, they won in two straight. It always seems when we play a good team, were able to rise to that level, Williams said. They did that throughout the provincials, dropping only one set, in their seven matches. In the fall, they each won ele- mentary school volleyball titles, Gorrell the public board title with Pilgrim Wood and Williams the Catholic board championship with St. Matthew. However, next year theyll be teammates with both attending Abbey Park. Theyre looking forward to that after their skills meshed on the beach. She passes the ball perfectly, Gorrell said of Williams. I just hit for power but shes really smart about where she plays the ball. And shes always positive and encourag- ing. (Victoria) is good with commu- nication. If I mess up, shes never really angry, Williams said. And shes really tall. Shes already over the net (standing) so shes a good blocker and a really good hitter. The 6-foot Gorrell and 5-foot-9 Williams have a clear height advan- tage over most of their opponents, which gives them not only a physi- cal edge, but a mental edge as well. Sometimes (opponents) ask me how tall I am while were playing them, Gorrell said. Despite their success in their brief time together, their provincial victory still caught them a little by surprise. Williams will have to delay a family vacation after their win qualified them for the national cham- pionships. The duo will be look to continue their winning ways at the nationals at Ashbridges Bay in Toronto, Aug. 26-28. Follow Herb Garbutt on Twitter, @herbgarbutt PHOTOS SUBMITTED