The Ontario Volleyball Association championships have returned to Waterloo for the first time since 2019.
Hundreds of players, made up of 139 teams from Thunder Bay to Windsor, have come to RIM Park for the weekend of play.
"It feels great," said Carrie Campbell of the OVA. "We were really nervous coming back, just because we were a little rusty, but being back and seeing the excitement is awesome."
All 26 courts will see lots of action, with champions in all age groups from 12 and under to 18 and under being decided at the end of the tournament.
"It kind of renews you," said Campbell. "We do this every year, and with everything stopped in 2020, it was a bit of a shock, and you don't realize how much you miss it.
"When you see everyone back here and having a good time and celebrating, it's awesome. It renews us and it makes us excited."
Several local teams – including the K-W Predators, Guelph Junior Gryphons, Stratford, and the Cambridge Scorpions – are all in action as well.
"It's really special because it's a one year thing," said a player from the U-14 Mississauga Pakmen. "We were training all year for this."
The U-14 girls team were in action Saturday morning competing in six round robin matches before entering elimination rounds.
"This is the pinnacle of the season, so this is their championship," said Campbell. "If they win a medal here, they can be crowned their divisional champion."
With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Tyler Kelaher
