February 27, 2006
CINDERELLA LANCERS TAKE OUA TITLE
TORONTO - For the first time ever, the University of Windsor Lancers are Ontario University Athletics women's volleyball champions. On Saturday, the visiting Lancers upset the nation's ninth-ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-0 to win the conference crown and earn a place in next weekend's CIS Championship in Calgary.
The 3-0 final was certainly not indicative of the play, but the 26-24, 26-24, 25-23 set scores certainly were.
Windsor (12-7, fourth OUA West) jumped out to early leads in all three sets, holding advantages of as many as seven points, but U of T (17-2, first OUA East) continued to claw back. Down the stretch however, the steady play of fifth-year setter Kelly Paolini, who was named player of the match and Final Four most valuable player, and the timely kills of fourth-year right side hitter Bethany Petkoff, were too much for U of T.
\"We did a great job of staying aggressive with our passing and serving,\" shared elated Windsor head coach Marilyn Douglas. \"This was not even close to being easy, but we didn't let U of T's big plays phase us. We went out and made history for the University of Windsor.\"
Tonight's win caps off a Cinderella post-season run for Windsor. The Lancers swept Ottawa 3-0 in semi-final action yesterday and last week dumped the OUA's number-one seed, the Western Mustangs in the quarterfinals.
Caitlin Morrissey's 10 kills led the Lancers, while Petkoff chipped in with eight. Asya Danilova was tops for the Varsity Blues with 10 kills, 24 digs and three blocks.
Earlier, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (13-6, 3rd OUA West) erased a 2-0 deficit to earn the conference's bronze medal with a 3-2 (8-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-11, 15-13) victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-4, 2nd OUA East). Danielle Walker's 22 kills paced the Golden Hawks.
OUA Women's Volleyball Championship All-Star Team
Kelly Paolini, Windsor (MVP)
Bethany Petkoff, Windsor
Asya Danilova, Toronto
Heather Bansley, Toronto
Laura Horner, Wilfrid Laurier
Danielle Walker, Wilfrid Laurier
Christine Lamey, Ottawa
(Source: Adrian Bradbury, Toronto Sports Information.)
(Photo: The Lancers celebrate a storybook finish to the 2005/06 season. Photo by Jing-Ling Kao.)
The 3-0 final was certainly not indicative of the play, but the 26-24, 26-24, 25-23 set scores certainly were.
Windsor (12-7, fourth OUA West) jumped out to early leads in all three sets, holding advantages of as many as seven points, but U of T (17-2, first OUA East) continued to claw back. Down the stretch however, the steady play of fifth-year setter Kelly Paolini, who was named player of the match and Final Four most valuable player, and the timely kills of fourth-year right side hitter Bethany Petkoff, were too much for U of T.
\"We did a great job of staying aggressive with our passing and serving,\" shared elated Windsor head coach Marilyn Douglas. \"This was not even close to being easy, but we didn't let U of T's big plays phase us. We went out and made history for the University of Windsor.\"
Tonight's win caps off a Cinderella post-season run for Windsor. The Lancers swept Ottawa 3-0 in semi-final action yesterday and last week dumped the OUA's number-one seed, the Western Mustangs in the quarterfinals.
Caitlin Morrissey's 10 kills led the Lancers, while Petkoff chipped in with eight. Asya Danilova was tops for the Varsity Blues with 10 kills, 24 digs and three blocks.
Earlier, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (13-6, 3rd OUA West) erased a 2-0 deficit to earn the conference's bronze medal with a 3-2 (8-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-11, 15-13) victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees (15-4, 2nd OUA East). Danielle Walker's 22 kills paced the Golden Hawks.
OUA Women's Volleyball Championship All-Star Team
Kelly Paolini, Windsor (MVP)
Bethany Petkoff, Windsor
Asya Danilova, Toronto
Heather Bansley, Toronto
Laura Horner, Wilfrid Laurier
Danielle Walker, Wilfrid Laurier
Christine Lamey, Ottawa
(Source: Adrian Bradbury, Toronto Sports Information.)
(Photo: The Lancers celebrate a storybook finish to the 2005/06 season. Photo by Jing-Ling Kao.)
