January 30, 2006
GOOSE EGGS ABOUND AS OUA POWERS FLEX THEIR MUSCLES
The OUA's elite teams were all business over the past five days as the week was highlighted by a slew of shut-outs. Of the 14 matches played since Wednesday, 10 finished in 3-0 scores, including two from the powerhouse Toronto Varsity Blues. The Blues improved to 16-1 with lopsided defeats over RMC Saturday and Queen's Sunday. Asya Danilova, a third-year student from St. Petersburg, Russia, paced Toronto with 12 kills and 14 points in a dominating victory - the Blues won the three sets by scores of 25-14, 25-13 and 25-14. Elodie Li Yuk Lo had 12 digs for Toronto. They continued to roll against Queen's, taking the first set 25-10 and the final two 25-18 each. Danilova led all players in both kills with 14 and digs with 21, showing her well-rounded offensive and defensive skills. Toronto has lost just seven sets all season, an OUA low.
The West leading Western Mustangs won 3-0 over the Laurier Golden Hawks Wednesday, led by Melissa Mann's 10 kills and 20 digs. Lauren Cosentino had 31 assists and 14 digs for the Mustangs, who won the third set 25-21 to ice the match. Kaitlin Sauder had 14 kills and 15 points for Laurier. Mann had 19 more kills in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the second-place team in East. Ottawa jumped out to a 1-0 lead but Western regrouped and took the next set 25-15, before scratching out the final two 26-25 and 25-23. Mann's 207 kills are the most in the OUA and third-best total in the country. The defending league champs are 14-1 on the season.
First-year Hamilton native Jennifer Holt had 19 assists to lead the McMaster Marauders to a 3-0 win over the Lakehead Thunderwolves Friday, the first of two wins on the weekend for the 12-4 Marauders. Verena McCrae led Mac with 10 points, while Lakehead star Melissa Merilainen had a match-high 11 kills. Lindsey Johnson recorded 14 digs for the Wolves. McMaster then hit the road for St. Catharines and left with a 3-1 win over the struggling Brock Badgers Sunday. McCrae and Melonie Allin had 13 kills each to lead McMaster, while Carly Welch chipped in 12 more. Victoria Van Gilst had 16 points for the Badgers. Brock rebounded from a 25-9 beating in the second set to take the third 28-26. They almost sent it to a fifth but Mac manufactured a 27-25 victory in the fourth.
Bethany Petkoff had 15 kills for the Windsor Lancers as they rolled to a 3-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors Wednesday, the first of two victories on the week. Petkoff, a fourth-year Communications major from Hamilton, led all players with 15 points. Kelly Paolini had 37 assists, while Waterloo's Hilary Lemieux led her team with eight kills. Petkoff and Andrea Easnor had nine kills each Saturday as the Lancers beat Ottawa 3-0. Christine Lamey paced the Gee-Gees with 13 kills, to go along with 10 digs. Windsor sits fourth in the OUA West with a solid 9-5 record.
In other OUA action, the York Lions got 11 kills from Nicole Carleton-Burnham in beating the Guelph Gryphons 3-0 Thursday. Laurier blanked Brock 3-0 Friday and then won for the 11th time this year in a 3-0 victory over Lakehead Sunday. Queen's beat the Ryerson Rams 3-2 Friday in the only five-set match of the week. The Rams got 11 kills from Erin Gallagher as they finished the week 1-1 thanks to a 3-0 victory over RMC Sunday.
(Photo: Mac's Verena McCrae goes for the kill in action this week. Photo by Calan Boyle.)
The West leading Western Mustangs won 3-0 over the Laurier Golden Hawks Wednesday, led by Melissa Mann's 10 kills and 20 digs. Lauren Cosentino had 31 assists and 14 digs for the Mustangs, who won the third set 25-21 to ice the match. Kaitlin Sauder had 14 kills and 15 points for Laurier. Mann had 19 more kills in a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the second-place team in East. Ottawa jumped out to a 1-0 lead but Western regrouped and took the next set 25-15, before scratching out the final two 26-25 and 25-23. Mann's 207 kills are the most in the OUA and third-best total in the country. The defending league champs are 14-1 on the season.
First-year Hamilton native Jennifer Holt had 19 assists to lead the McMaster Marauders to a 3-0 win over the Lakehead Thunderwolves Friday, the first of two wins on the weekend for the 12-4 Marauders. Verena McCrae led Mac with 10 points, while Lakehead star Melissa Merilainen had a match-high 11 kills. Lindsey Johnson recorded 14 digs for the Wolves. McMaster then hit the road for St. Catharines and left with a 3-1 win over the struggling Brock Badgers Sunday. McCrae and Melonie Allin had 13 kills each to lead McMaster, while Carly Welch chipped in 12 more. Victoria Van Gilst had 16 points for the Badgers. Brock rebounded from a 25-9 beating in the second set to take the third 28-26. They almost sent it to a fifth but Mac manufactured a 27-25 victory in the fourth.
Bethany Petkoff had 15 kills for the Windsor Lancers as they rolled to a 3-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors Wednesday, the first of two victories on the week. Petkoff, a fourth-year Communications major from Hamilton, led all players with 15 points. Kelly Paolini had 37 assists, while Waterloo's Hilary Lemieux led her team with eight kills. Petkoff and Andrea Easnor had nine kills each Saturday as the Lancers beat Ottawa 3-0. Christine Lamey paced the Gee-Gees with 13 kills, to go along with 10 digs. Windsor sits fourth in the OUA West with a solid 9-5 record.
In other OUA action, the York Lions got 11 kills from Nicole Carleton-Burnham in beating the Guelph Gryphons 3-0 Thursday. Laurier blanked Brock 3-0 Friday and then won for the 11th time this year in a 3-0 victory over Lakehead Sunday. Queen's beat the Ryerson Rams 3-2 Friday in the only five-set match of the week. The Rams got 11 kills from Erin Gallagher as they finished the week 1-1 thanks to a 3-0 victory over RMC Sunday.
(Photo: Mac's Verena McCrae goes for the kill in action this week. Photo by Calan Boyle.)
