After last week’s performance at the 2013 New Year’s Classic Tournament, Atlantic Valley’s Inferno Team arrived at Apex’s headquarters on Saturday with high hopes.  As their name clearly implies they were, in two words, ON FIRE.  It was evident Inferno showed up to play volleyball as they won the first two matches against Apex 18 Mystics and Creole respectively.  However, their third match against CT Juniors proved to be a challenge.  The first set was a nail biting session with CT Juniors driving toward victory initially, leading by as much as 10 points.  Most people in attendance thought this game was a done deal CT Juniors but team Inferno had other plans.  Somewhere in the middle of that set, Inferno tapped into their inner strength and team chemistry to pull a (17-25) victory.  CT Juniors came back with more focus and won the 2nd set (17-25). As expected Inferno reset and comfortably won the third set (15-10) and the match.  
Their tireless play helped them clench first place in their pool but in order to win the tournament they were going to have to face two tough teams.  Their first challenge was to play DIGS, but the highly anticipated game turned out to be three sets of unforced errors by both teams, in the end Inferno persevered and won the match (2-1).  Then as if déjà vu, just like last week, Inferno had to deal with feisty Apex 17 Magic if they wanted to be declared champions.  Having played each other, strategy was going to play an important role in this game.  Inferno won the first set by a narrow margin of (25-23) but Apex, a force to be reckoned with, won the second set (17-25).  Here they were again, 1st place dependent on the outcome of one set.  Each team with their eye on the prize was determined to win.  Apex scored first but Inferno answered with a 5 point run.  Apex Magic worked feverishly to close the gap but Inferno was not letting up, the team was in rhythm and they were going to win it.  Match point came from a kill that closed the game at (15-9) as Coach Samantha was seen bracing herself.  In the end the tournament was, as Coach Anthony said, a “character defining” one in which Inferno’s athletes demonstrated their resiliency time and time again.