Avonmore, ON – The Carleton Place High School Bears are this year’s Upper Canada Cup Intermediate Girls’ Volleyball Champions.

The Bears defeated the Thousand Islands Secondary School Pirates 25-12, 23-25, 15-6 in the final Thursday afternoon at Tagwi Secondary School.

Bears Coach Kirk Belisle said consistent play from his bench helped the Bears overcome a competitive Pirates squad.

“It was a combination of brilliance and perseverance,” Belisle said of his team’s success. “We were behind many times during the final but they never gave up. We succeeded because it was 11 individuals on the court all playing together for the win.”

Belisle added his girls worked hard to keep a positive mindset which helped them gel as a team, and carried them to victory in a final which saw the lead change hands frequently.

The Upper Canada Cup marked the third tournament the Bears have won this year.