W-VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Ryerson climbs standings with two victories
Waterloo Warriors @ McMaster Marauders
Hamilton, Ont. - The McMaster Marauders women's volleyball team took down the Waterloo Warriors in three sets on Friday night at Burridge Gymnasium. Set scores in favour of the Marauders were 25-19, 25-11, 25-17. Libero Meagan Nederveen was named the Big Mac Player of the Game for the Marauders.
Both teams would trade points throughout the first set early on, all tied up at 8-8. The Marauders would be the first to take a significant lead and from there would earn the two points lead at the technical timeout at 16-14 thanks to a big block from middle Shannon McRobert (Whitby, Ont.). A kill from rookie Lauren Mastroluisi (Ancaster, Ont.) and an ace from McRobert would put McMaster put by two more for a score of 18-14.
After a timeout called by Waterloo, Warrior Oksana Kozak (Mississauga, Ont.) would connect with setter Kayla Ng (London, Ont.) for the kill and would score two more aces. That, along with a kill from Waterloo's Laura Klein (Kitchener, Ont.) would tie the game up at 18. The Marauders would fight back, winning three points, forcing the Warriors to call their second timeout. An ace from rookie Mira Krunic (Oakville, Ont.) would put Waterloo in their place and from there the Marauders would seal the deal 25-19 on a hit down the line from Kailee Stock (Newmarket, Ont.).
Early in the second set, McMaster would take a 7-4 lead with three serves from Stock. The Marauders continued to build on that lead with big blocks up front, amounting to a six point lead at 11-5. Throughout the set, the Warriors would continue to flounder on serve receive and the Marauders wouldn't let up as they capitalized on Waterloo mistakes throughout the set. McMaster would easily earn the second set win at 25-11 and rookie Krunic would already total seven points in the match.
In the third, both teams would be tied at five points each before Stock came out with an ace on the back line. She would serve three more after that before Waterloo was forced to call a timeout at 9-5. McMaster would double that lead and by the technical timeout, the score would read 16-8 in favour of the Marauders.
Later in the match, the Warriors would get within five at 17-12 but a miss-hit from Waterloo's Klein would get the ball back for the Marauders. A few aces from middle Camilla Thorne-Tjomsland (Winnipeg, Man.) and a kil from McRobert would put McMaster up by nine at 21-12. A timeout from the Warriors would push them for the last ditch effort to save the set but some step-arounds from McRobert and a number of Waterloo mistakes would see the Marauders win the third 25-17.
Meagan Nederveen, Big Mac Player of the Game for the Marauders, recorded a game-high 17 digs for McMaster. Mastroluisi, Krunic and McRobert would all score a team-high eight points in McMaster's win over the Warriors and setter Amanda Weldon (Hamilton, Ont.) would recorded 28 assists in the match. Thorne-Tjomsland would recorded another five kills and three blocks for the Marauders.
For the Warriors, Big Mac Player of the Game honours went to Laura Klein for her game-high 10 kills. Kozak also contributed with six kills and two aces for eight points.
Source: Marauders Athletics
Windsor Lancers @ Western Mustangs
The Lancer women’s volleyball team got back in the win column after an impressive 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21) over the Western Mustangs on Friday night in London.
With the win, the Lancers move to 3-11 on the season, with four games remaining on their schedule.
The Mustangs led for most of the first set but the Lancers came out on the winning end of two long rallies, tying up the set at 16. From there Windsor did not relinquish the lead to take a 1-0 set lead.
Some solid serving from Western gave the Mustangs a quick 4-0 lead to open up the second set. Windsor clawed back from a 6-2 deficit and tied the game at ten, en route to a 21-14 lead.
The Mustangs chipped away at the Lancer lead but the Blue & Gold held strong to take the set.
In a well-played final set, the Lancers once again came out on top of the surprised Mustangs to take the final set 25-21 and earn the win.
Kaila Seguin led the Lancers with 20 points on the night, contributing 17 kills, 3 digs, 2 solo blocks.
The Lancers will return home for their final pair of regular season games next weekend. They will take on the York Lions on Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday January 28th at 1:00pm. The Lancers will be selling pink CIS reusable tote bags for only $5 to help raise money for the cause.
Windsor will close out their last game at home on Sunday January 29th at 1:00pm when they host the McMaster Marauders on Seniors’ Day. Prior to the first serve, the Lancers will honour their graduating athletes in a pre-game ceremony.
Source: Lancers Athletics
Waterloo Warriors @ Ryerson Rams
TORONTO- For the second time this season, the Ryerson Rams women's volleyball team and Waterloo Warriors went the distance. However, the result was different than the last time these two teams met in Waterloo, as the host Rams caught fire in the fifth set, tallying eight straight points to shock the Warriors with a 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 25-19, 29-31, 15-8) victory at Kerr Hall Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea Jensen recorded a team-high 16 kills and 20 points, while rookies Emily Nicholishen and Chelsea Briscoe added 18 and 17 points in the victory. Laura Klein topped all players with 19 kills on the afternoon in a losing cause for the Warriors.
Head Coach Dustin Reid observed the match from two different angles.
The Rams (5-8) were able to bounce back after squandering four match points in the fourth set when they were up 2-1 in the contest. The Warriors forced a fifth set, but looked to run out of gas after holding an 8-7 lead when the teams switched ends. Jensen served out the contest on the Rams' eight straight points, with rookie Danielle Lenarduzzi (Windsor, Ont.) picking up a game-ending kill, her only point of the match to go along with 15 assists.
Ryerson moves ahead of Waterloo (5-9) and keeps their drive for a playoff spot very much alive with the victory.
Kasandra Bracken (Sherwood Park, Alta.) began the match with an ace followed by a kill from Nicholishen (Whitby, Ont.), and the Rams jumped out to a 4-0 lead. However, the Warriors battled back, pulling within a point a couple of times leading up to the technical. The Rams took a 16-13 lead into the break, and quickly spread it to five on an ace from Nicholishen.
The Warriors bounced back with three straight to keep the set close. Up by one, Jensen (Georgetown, Ont.) nailed a kill into the open court to maintain the lead. An error by Klein was followed by another clutch ace by Bracken to put Waterloo on the brink. The Warriors saved two straight set points, but Oksana Kozak put her serve into the net, allowing Ryerson to take the opening stanza.
Natasha Spaling picked up two-straight aces to begin the second set for Waterloo. The Rams answered as consecutive points from Jensen put the home team ahead by a couple. The Warriors won the next two, pulling even with Ryerson at 6-6.
The teams traded points after that, as Ryanne Hollies (Calgary, Alta.) denied the Warriors with a block, and Nicholishen opened the set up with a monster kill. Spaling brought Waterloo back with a block on Briscoe (Georgetown, Ont.) in the middle, and the teams were still tied going into the second half of the set.
Waterloo took a 16-14 lead into the technical timeout, and won the next point to go up by three. Ryerson took a timeout with the score at 19-15 for the Warriors, and the Rams would go on a three-point streak to pull within one, and a block by Briscoe after a strong serve from Emily Varga (Rodney, Ont.) notched the set at 21-21.
The squads traded points again, and Waterloo went up 24-23 to give themselves a set point opportunity, but Briscoe answered with an ace to even the set once again. However, Waterloo made good on its second chance, nailing an ace to even the match 1-1.
Neither side could carry a significant lead throughout the beginning of the third. The Rams went up by two on an ace by Nicholishen, and they would carry the small advantage into the technical timeout. After a block by Bracken on the first play after the break, the Warriors quickly stopped the game once again to talk things over.
Danielle Kamps picked up a kill coming out of the timeout, but put her serve into the net on the following play. The women took advantage, recording two-straight points to go up 20-15. Jensen tallied a kill to continue the streak. Briscoe connected on a kill to bring Ryerson within a point of taking the set, and an ensuing ace by Hollies put the Rams up 2-1.
Kristen Sheffield picked up an ace, but Briscoe answered with a block and kill as Ryerson took an early lead in the fourth. But for the fourth straight set, both teams could not muster more than a two-point spread early on. It stayed that way up to the technical timeout, with the visitors holding a 16-15 lead at the break.
The Rams went on a mini-streak after timeout to take an 18-16 lead. Briscoe tallied two kills along the way, but Waterloo pulled even again after three straight errors by Ryerson. Bracken found the court with a kill to put the Rams up 22-21, and after Klein tied it, a service error by the Warriors put the women within two points of the contest. Klein evened the game again, but Nicholishen picked up a huge block that just caught the line, setting up match-point for the Rams.
Waterloo would save two match points, and then earn a set-point by going up 26-25. Nicholishen evened the set again, and the set continue. A long rally at 27-27 ended with Nicholishen giving Ryerson its third match point, but Briscoe's serve went long.
Finally, after Waterloo saved the fourth match-point, an ace by Kayla Ng set up a second chance for them to take the set. The Warriors took advantage, forcing a final frame.
Briscoe picked up a block, but Sheffield tallied a kill as the fifth was tied early on 3-3. An ace from Kozak put Waterloo in front, and the visitors went up by two. However, Ryerson pulled even with a kill from Jensen. The squads switched sides with the Warriors holding a slim 8-7 lead before the Rams would catch fire to steal the victory.
The teams previously met back on October 29, where the Rams went up two sets before losing three straight to the Warriors. The women have only played two five-set matches so far this year, both against Waterloo.
"We bring out a lot of good things in each other and some negative things too," said Reid, who hopes his team can continue to bring their momentum into tomorrow's match against the high-powered Guelph Gryphons, who are also battling with the women for a playoff spot.
"Tomorrow is a brand new day and another early start," said Reid. (Guelph's) had some ups and downs this season but they're going to be a different match. I hope we can come out tomorrow and play with the same level of fight we had today."
Source: Rams Athletics
Brock Badgers @ RMC Paladins
KINGSTON, Ont. - The Brock University women's volleyball team (9-4 OUA) extended their regular season win streak to four games as they defeated the RMC Paladins by the score of 3-1 (25-21, 13-25, 25-19, 25-16) on the road Saturday afternoon.
Leading the Badgers offense was sophomore Lucy McLay (Stratford, Ont.) who led all players with 15 kills, her second highest total of the season.
Senior Rachel Roorda (St. George, Ont.) contributed with eight kills and five blocks, including four solos. With her five blocks, Roorda moves into first all-time in Brock history with 207 career blocks surpassing former Brock standout Shauna Peddle (206).
Junior Tori Stirling (Whitby, Ont.) chipped in with six kills and eight digs while senior Jennifer McKenzie (Surrey, B.C.) added five kills and four aces. Libero Tess Palmateer (Aurora, Ont.) collected 16 digs in the victory.
Leading RMC was Mallory Litjens with 10 kills. Danielle Vortisch and Melissa Mccoy added nine and eight kills respectively in the loss.
Source: Badgers Athletics
Queen’s Gaels @ Lakehead Thunderwolves
Thunder Bay, Ont. (January 21, 2012)- The Queen's Gaels (9-5) visited the Lakehead Thunderwolves (0-12) today for their first game of back-to-back weekend action between the two squads. Despite close matches,the Gaels swept their last place opponents in straight sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-22).
Kelsey Bishop of North Vancouver, B.C. registered 17 kills, while teammate Katie Hagarty of Aurora, Ont. swung home 14 of her own against the struggling Thunderwolves defense. The Gaels (44 kills) nearly doubled Lakehead's kill count (26 kills), and were led by setter Anna Pedjase of Waterloo, Ont., who accounted for 40 assists.
Becky Billings of Ottawa, Ont. was the defensive conscience of the Gaels tonight, and made her presence felt with eight digs, despite being held to low offensive output.
Breanne Hilhorst of Killarney, Man. dug up a team high 14 balls for Lakehead.
Guelph Gryphons @ McMaster Marauders
Hamilton, Ont. - The McMaster women's volleyball team extended their win streak to four games with a weekend sweep of the Waterloo Warriors and Guelph Gryphons. On Saturday night, they took down the Gryphons in three straight sets with scores of 25-19, 25-22 and 26-24.
All tied up at six, rookie Lauren Mastroluisi would put the Marauders ahead with a hit down the line early in the first set. Later, McMaster would take a two point lead at 11-9 thanks to some tough serves from the rookie. The Marauders were unable to hold the lead though as both teams fought hard for the first-set win. At the timeout, McMaster would earn the two point lead back, with some key digs in the back from libero Meagan Nederveen.
Guelph would be forced to call a timeout just two points after the technical as scrappy play from the Marauders as well as an ace from setter Amanda Weldon would out the home team up by four at 18-14. The Marauders would further extend their lead to six at 20-14 with some more strong serving from Weldon. Mastroluisi would finish off the set for the Marauders with a roll shot to the middle of the court and McMaster would go ahead 1-0 in the match with a 25-19 win.
Long rallies would be the story of the second set as both defences were stellar. The Marauders took an early lead of three points at 8-5 with strong serving from middle Shannon McRobert, forcing the Gryphons to call a timeout. The Marauders lead would get as big as four points prior to the technical timeout and both teams would take to the bench for a break at 16-12 in favour of McMaster.
The Marauders would maintain the lead to 19-16 when Guelph called their second timeout of the match and would pull it together, getting within one. Outside hitter Kailee Stock would get the point back for McMaster, but the Gryphons would keep pushing to tie it up, and finally did at 20-20. The Marauders would get ahead by two at 23-21 and would eventually take the second-set win, 25-22 with a kill and an ace from McRobert. She would have 12 points at this point in the match.
McMaster and Guelph would once again trade points early on but it would be the Marauders taking the lead once again, by three points this time, at 9-6. The Gryphons wouldn't give up that easily though as they came back to tie it. A nig hit from Mastroluisi on the outside would once again put the Marauders ahead at 11-10. Guelph would eventually take the lead at 14-12 but McMaster would win the points back with some serves from Weldon. At the technical timeout, the Gryphons would lead the Marauders by two at 16-14.
A big swing from Stock after the timeout would begin McMaster's comeback as they would tie it up at 16. The Gryphons would force the Marauders to take a timeout after scoring three points in a row, making the score 20-17. Some big swings from Mastroluisi in the front court and Stock in the back row would give McMaster the lead back with five points in a row. McMaster's left side hitters were a force until the end of the set with Stock killing it down the line for the 26-24 third set win.
McMaster's Big Mac Player of the Game was Kailee Stock who recorded a game-high 13 kills and had another two blocks for 15 points. Shannon McRobert also hit double digit numbers with 10 kills and four aces. Rookie Mastroluisi added nine kills for the Marauders.
For the Gryphons, Brooke Lloyd was named the Big Mac Player of the Game for her six kills. Taylor Crown had a team-high seven kills and Erinn Bickle recorded nine points for the Gryphons with five kills, two aces and two blocks.
The Marauders are on the road next weekend with games against Western and Windsor on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Source: Marauders Athletics
Guelph Gryphons @ Ryerson Rams
TORONTO- The Ryerson Rams women's volleyball team came up with another critical victory on Sunday afternoon at Kerr Hall Gym, defeating a tough Guelph Gryphons squad 3-1 (27-29, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21) to vault themselves right into the midst of the OUA playoff race.
Kasandra Bracken picked up 12 kills and two blocks and a game-high 17 points, while Chelsea Jensen recorded 14 kills for the Rams in the victory. Ryerson (6-8) leaped over both Guelph (5-8) and Waterloo (5-9) into ninth place, just a half-game back of RMC (6-7) for the final playoff spot in the conference.
"First and foremost, we talked about Coach Pothier before the game and playing with the kind of fight she showed," said Reid. "For us to have that performance with that type of focus is quite gratifying."
A moment of silence in memory of Pothier, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 50, was taken in Kerr Hall Gym before the match began.
Reid believes the women played their best match of the season against a gritty Gryphons team.
"We played a really good team that was desperate for a win today and stayed focused," he said. "I'm very proud of the (women)."
Rookie Alex Whyte may very well have been the story of the afternoon. The Whitby, Ont. native who has been plagued with injuries throughout the season had a strong performance picking up a contest-high five aces to go along with eight kills in the win.
"Terrific performance from Alex," stated Reid. "It's been a difficult year for her. She had to fight really hard to get back and she's such a leader and had a lot of composure. Her serving brought us back in the match two or three times, I'm really happy for her."
Brooke Lloyd was hot early for the Gryphons, recording five kills early on. Emily Nicholishen (Whitby, Ont.) answered with four of her own, and a tightly contested first set had the visitors up 16-15 at the technical.
The teams continued to exchange points in the latter part of the set, with the Rams able to take a 19-18 advantage, leading Guelph to take a timeout. The Gryphons grabbed back the advantage on an ace from Rebecca Breau.
Chelsea Briscoe (Georgetown, Ont.) answered with kill and block as Ryerson moved ahead, and a critical ace from Nicholishen spread the lead to two points.
Katelyn Larson answered with an ace of her own as Guelph took two straight, and the set was even at 23-23. Stephanie Vickers gave the Gryphons a set-point, but Briscoe and Bracken (Sherwood Park, Alta.) hit consecutive kills to give the home side a chance to take the set.
Guelph notched two straight points, and then Kaitlyn Krizmanich had her attack tipped off the Rams blockers, allowing the Gryphons to draw first blood in an exciting first stanza.
Guelph looked to build on the first set win with three straight points in the second, but Ryerson answered on a kill from Nicholishen and ace from Ryanne Hollies (Calgary, Alta.), helping the Rams streak for five straight.
Guelph responded as Vickers and Taylor Crown each tallied a kill, helping them build a 12-8 advantage.
Whyte brought Ryerson within one on some stellar serving, picking up back-to-back aces, but the Gryphons tallied four-straight after that to take a 16-11 lead into the technical break.
Consecutive blocks from Bracken and Briscoe gave the women some steam, and a kill from Whyte was followed by a Gryphon attack error, as Ryerson cut the lead back to one. Nicholishen tied the set on the next play, and Guelph made another mistake to hand the Rams the lead 19-18.
The Gryphons regrouped to win the next two points, but Ryerson kept pace, taking two more of their own to maintain the slim lead. Ryerson went up 24-22, and made no mistake on their first set-point opportunity, evening the overall match 1-1.
Guelph went up 7-4 to start the third on an ace from Lloyd, but the Rams stormed back to even the set with three straight. The Gryphons tried to pull away, but could only manage a small lead over the Rams who hung around heading into the technical timeout, down 16-13 at the break.
Whyte continued to be potent from the serve line, tallying another ace and setting the tone on the next play, leading to an error from Guelph after a long rally. The Gryphons committed another error, and the Rams moved into the lead.
Guelph continued to flounder as Ryerson went up 20-18, leading to a Gryphons timeout. Danielle Lenarduzzi (Windsor, Ont.) recorded a cheeky put-back, catching the visitors off-guard, and Briscoe added a kill right after as the Rams closed in on the set.
Another long rally ended with a huge block from Jessica Broad (Courtice, Ont.), and another error put Guelph on the brink. Briscoe polished off the set with a kill, and the Rams took a 2-1 match lead.
The Gryphons went up 4-1 to start the fourth, but Ryerson found a way back again, tying the set 5-5. Whyte's serve stymied Guelph twice more, and the hosts took an 8-6 lead.
However, they would drop the next four as Vickers heated up, tallying a kill and ace to help the Gryphons steal the lead back.
Bracken looped a shot to the corner of the court, and followed with an ace on her serve to tie the set 11-11. Nicholishen then hit a cross-court kill, putting Ryerson in front again. The teams exchanged leads up to the technical, with the Rams going up 16-15.
Guelph went up briefly, but the women continued to make plays at clutch moments, tallying three straight to go up 20-18. The fifth-year veteran Bracken rejected the Gryphons on three straight blocks before they could finally find the court.
Guelph would not go away, tallying three straight to pull within two at 23-21. However, another big play from Bracken gave the Rams a match point, and Jensen (Georgetown) put the contest on ice with her 14th kill.
Looking ahead to their final four matches of the season, the Rams will take on three teams currently ahead of them in the standings. Reid is excited for the challenge.
The women head to Ottawa next Sunday, January 29 for a 2:00 p.m. matinee against the Gee-Gees. They will return to Kerr Hall Gym for the final home match on Sunday, February 5 against Lakehead, and wrap up the regular season with two road matches against York and Toronto the following weekend.
Source: Rams Athletics
Brock Badgers @ Ottawa Gee-Gees
Two matches against top-four teams, two Gee-Gees’ sweeps. This was the story of the weekend for the Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team as they dispatched the Brock Badgers in straight sets, after defeating Toronto in a sweep the day before. Coming into this weekend, Toronto was second in the OUA with a 9-3 record, while Brock was tied with uOttawa with an 8-4 record. With these two impressive victories, uOttawa now has the upper hand in terms of finishing in second, with 20 points. The Gee-Gees have now won three straight games in sweeps.
Much like yesterday’s game against Toronto, the Gee-Gees started the match firing on all cylinders, taking an early 13-5 lead in the first set. The Gee-Gees’ well-placed kill attempts meant that the Badgers were often forced to scramble on defence, leading to easy uOttawa points. The home side took the first set with relative ease, winning 25-16, with the last point coming on a powerful spike by second-year LS/M Myriam English (Orleans, Ont.).
“We felt so connected the whole game. We were aggressive, moving our feet. We just came together as a team,” said English. “We were facing Toronto and Brock for the second spot in the OUA, and they were definitely huge wins.”
The Badgers came out refocused in the second set, taking an early 14-5 lead, with the help of some uncharacteristic errors by the Gee-Gees. With the momentum on Brock’s side, Woods called a couple of timeouts, in hopes that his team would respond to newfound adversity. And uOttawa responded in a huge way, ending the second set on a 20-9 run, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The final result: an incredible 25-23 comeback win for the Gee-Gees, with English providing three crucial kills at the end of the set.
“That was the match. To come back from nine points down, and the way we did it?serving, defence, and blocking?that’s a new part of our identity that we needed,” said Woods.
The second set ended up being a backbreaker for the Badgers, as the Gee-Gees put the finishing touches to a sweep in the third set. Third-year LS/RS Laura Carmanico (Stittsville, Ont.) had a memorable cross-court kill midway through the third, and uOttawa ended up winning the final frame, 25-17.
Ottawa will play two more games next weekend, beginning with an away game on Jan. 27 against the Queen’s Golden Gaels?yet another match against an OUA playoff contender.
Queen’s Gaels @ Lakehead Thunderwolves
THUNDER BAY, Ont. (January 22, 2012)- In their second straight match of the weekened against the Thunderwovles (0-13), the Gaels (10-5) swept their opponents in quick fashion (25-21, 25-16, 25-17). With the win, the Gaels won all six straight sets this weekend.
Natalie Gray of Oshawa, Ont. put down a team high 13 kills. Katie Hagarty of Aurora, Ont. also continued on her recent hot streak and contributed 11 kills of her own, as well as four service aces.
Shannon Walsh of Kingston, Ont., covering her end of the court, dug up eight balls in a defensive effort for the Gaels.
The Thunderwolves defense was once again led by Breanne Hilhorst of Killarney, Man ., who put forth a 12 dig effort. She was matched by teammate Jorie Daymond of Banhaven, Ont., who also had 12 digs on the night. Daymond also registered a team high nine kills.
This win puts the Gaels in 3rd place in the OUA. However, they have also played the most games thus far (a league high 15).
The Gaels will return home when they play next on Friday, January 27 against the second place Ottawa Gee-Gees (10-4).
OUA SCHEDULE & RESULTS
January 20, 2012
Waterloo, 0 @ McMaster, 3
Windsor, 3 @ Western, 0
January 21, 2012
Waterloo, 2 @ Ryerson, 3
Brock, 3 @ RMC, 1
Queen’s, 3 @ Lakehead, 0
Toronto, 0 @ Ottawa, 3
Guelph, 0 @ McMaster, 3
January 22, 2012
Guelph, 1 @ Ryerson, 3
Brock, 0 @ Ottawa, 3
Queen’s, 3 @ Lakehead, 0
January 27, 2012
6:00 pm – Guelph @ Waterloo
7:00 pm – Ottawa @ Queen’s
January 28, 2012
1:00 pm – York @ Windsor
1:00 pm – McMaster @ Western
3:00 pm – RMC @ Toronto
6:00 pm – Brock @ Guelph
