February 19, 2006
LANCERS BOUNCE DEFENDING CHAMPION MUSTANGS
The opening round of the OUA women's volleyball playoffs proved clearly one thing - anything can happen in a single-game elimination scenario. The Windsor Lancers played the role of Cinderella as they shocked the defending OUA champion and top West seed Western Mustangs 3-2 Saturday to advance to the Final Four. Maidstone, ON native Brianna Binder had a match-high 16 kills, while Caitlin Morrissey and Andrea Eansor added 11 kills each as the Lancers dethroned the 2005 champions in impressive fashion. Kelly Paolini tallied an incredible 48 assists in the five-set war. Windsor (12-7 in the regular season) dropped the first set 25-21 but stormed back to capture the second with by a surprising score of 25-9. The Lancers took a 2-1 lead after the third with another 25-14 win before Western evened the match. But Windsor never backed down and cruised to a 15-7 victory in the final set to complete the massive upset over the Mustangs, who lost just two matches through 19 regular season games. Erin Miller and Melissa Mann had 13 kills each for Western.
Windsor will take on the East's second-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA semi-final action Saturday in Toronto. OUA first-team all-star Christine Lamey pounded out a match-high 20 kills and teammate Karine Gaganon added 19 more as Ottawa advanced with a grueling 3-2 come-from-behind win over the York Lions in East quarter-final action. York hushed Montpetit Hall by securing the first two sets but the Gee-Gees beared down and won 25-18 and 25-17 in the third and fourth before coming out on top 18-16 in the decisive set. Laura Simons had 50 assists for Ottawa. York all-star Elizabeth Salas-Chavez led the Lions with 19 kills and 22 points.
Though it wasn't the magnitude of Windsor's upset, the Laurier Golden Hawks went to Hamilton and came away with a satisfying 3-2 win over the West's second seeded McMaster Marauders Saturday. Third-year Oakville, ON native Danielle Walker, a first-team all-star in the West, led all players with 20 kills and 22 points, while Kaitlin Sauder added 14 kills for the surging Hawks. Trailing 2-1, the Marauders (14-5 in the regular season) won the fourth set 25-21 but Laurier responded with a big 15-10 victory in the fifth to advance to the Final Four. Laura Horner recorded a match-best 55 assists for the Hawks.
Western's 2005 championship ended a streak of four straight OUA banners for the powerhouse Toronto Varsity Blues but the Final Four hosts appear poised to get return to their championship-winning ways. Toronto was an impressive 17-2 in regular season play with one of those losses coming against Ottawa on the final day of the regular season (3-2). The Blues put the defeat behind them and looked deadly against East's fourth seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves, winning 3-0. East first-team all-star Asya Danilova had a match-high 12 kills and 15 points as Toronto overwhelmed Lakehead and cruised to 25-12, 25-13 and 25-18 victories. East Rookie of the Year Ali Greey had 31 assists for the Blues, while first-team all-star and merit award winner Elodie Li Yuk Lo posted a match-high 14 digs.
Toronto and Laurier meet in one Final Four match-up, while the Lancers and Gee-Gees do battle in the other.
(Photo: Windsor celebrates after knocking off the defending OUA champion Western Mustangs in women's playoff action. Photo by Craig Glover.)
Windsor will take on the East's second-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA semi-final action Saturday in Toronto. OUA first-team all-star Christine Lamey pounded out a match-high 20 kills and teammate Karine Gaganon added 19 more as Ottawa advanced with a grueling 3-2 come-from-behind win over the York Lions in East quarter-final action. York hushed Montpetit Hall by securing the first two sets but the Gee-Gees beared down and won 25-18 and 25-17 in the third and fourth before coming out on top 18-16 in the decisive set. Laura Simons had 50 assists for Ottawa. York all-star Elizabeth Salas-Chavez led the Lions with 19 kills and 22 points.
Though it wasn't the magnitude of Windsor's upset, the Laurier Golden Hawks went to Hamilton and came away with a satisfying 3-2 win over the West's second seeded McMaster Marauders Saturday. Third-year Oakville, ON native Danielle Walker, a first-team all-star in the West, led all players with 20 kills and 22 points, while Kaitlin Sauder added 14 kills for the surging Hawks. Trailing 2-1, the Marauders (14-5 in the regular season) won the fourth set 25-21 but Laurier responded with a big 15-10 victory in the fifth to advance to the Final Four. Laura Horner recorded a match-best 55 assists for the Hawks.
Western's 2005 championship ended a streak of four straight OUA banners for the powerhouse Toronto Varsity Blues but the Final Four hosts appear poised to get return to their championship-winning ways. Toronto was an impressive 17-2 in regular season play with one of those losses coming against Ottawa on the final day of the regular season (3-2). The Blues put the defeat behind them and looked deadly against East's fourth seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves, winning 3-0. East first-team all-star Asya Danilova had a match-high 12 kills and 15 points as Toronto overwhelmed Lakehead and cruised to 25-12, 25-13 and 25-18 victories. East Rookie of the Year Ali Greey had 31 assists for the Blues, while first-team all-star and merit award winner Elodie Li Yuk Lo posted a match-high 14 digs.
Toronto and Laurier meet in one Final Four match-up, while the Lancers and Gee-Gees do battle in the other.
(Photo: Windsor celebrates after knocking off the defending OUA champion Western Mustangs in women's playoff action. Photo by Craig Glover.)
