W-VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Lions extend lead atop OUA standings
Guelph Gryphons @ Waterloo Warriors
The Waterloo women's volleyball team improved to 5-1 at home with a 3-1 (24-26, 27-25, 25-13, 25-21) set victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Friday night in front of a boisterous Waterloo home crowd at the PAC.
Middle Kristen Sheffield (North Bay) brought her 'A' game leading all players with 15 kills, several at key moments of the game. Sheffield also added three service aces, three blocks and eight digs in the Warrior win.
In the early going it was all Gryphons as they jumped out to a 15-8 first set lead but the Warriors would claw their way back midway through the set with six straight points off of Kayla Ng (London)'s serve. The two squads would battle back and forth for the remainder of the set before outside hitter Devon Jones (Rockwood, Ont.) would put away one of her eight kills in the match to give Guelph the 26-24 first set win.
The Gryphons would carry their momentum into the second set thanks to some shifty play by Brooke Lloyd (Whitby, Ont.) who put away several kills to give her team an early set advantage. Guelph would take control of the second set off some sloppy Warrior play and take a 22-17 lead but a timeout by coach Gaby Jobst gave the Warriors new life.
Laura Klein (Kitchener) would take three straight points on her serve to get Waterloo right back in the set and following several key blocks by Danielle Kamp and Sheffield the score would be notched at 25's. Sheffield and Oksana Kozak (Mississauga) would go back to back with big kills to give Waterloo the 27-25 second set win.
With the momentum in their favour, Waterloo would walk all over Guelph in the third set jumping out to a 15-3 lead. Sheffield continued her stellar match with two straight aces late in the set and Waterloo would cruise to the 25-13 set win.
The fourth and final set would see the Gryphons fighting to regain their attack and would take an early 7-5 lead but Kozak would show off her serving skills, tallying six straight points to give her squad an 11-7 lead.
Guelph would shift the momentum back in their favour thanks to the attack by Lloyd and Jones but Waterloo was able to regain the advantage at the net and walk away with the set 25-21 and game 3-1.
Contributing to the Warrior attack was Danielle Kamps (Vineland Station) with 13 kills. Kamps was a force all game long at the net with seven blocks in the match. Laura Klein (Kitchener) added 10 kills and three service aces. Defensively Kozak was stellar with 26 digs while libero Katie Spack (Ottawa) dug the ball 18 times. Setter Kayla Ng (London) had 40 assists in the win.
As a team the Warriors served lights out with a total of 17 service aces compared to just four for the Gryphons.
Leading the charge for the Gryphons was Lloyd who had 13 kills and 16 digs in the match. Jones added eight kills while Taylor Crown (Victoria Harbour, B.C.) and Erinn Bickle (Whitby, Ont.) each had seven. Setter Katelyn Larson had 35 assists in the loss.
Waterloo will enjoy the rest of the week off before returning to action next Friday as they battle the York Lions at the PAC. Game time is scheduled for 6pm.
Source: Warriors Athletics
KINGSTON, Ont. (January 27, 2012) - Natalie Gray of Oshawa, Ont. had a spectacular performance against the Ottawa Gee Gees (10-5), pulling the Gaels (11-5) into second place in the OUA standings. The Gael's won the match in five sets, and were forced to bounce back with a huge momentum building fourth set victory after dropping two of the first three sets to start the night (15-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-12, 15-12).
Gray was the hot hand of the night, posting a staggering 19 kill and 19 dig effort .This proved to be the turning point of what was a back and forth nail biter at home. Only Becky Billings of Ottawa registered more digs, with a 21 dig effort on the night.
Shannon Walsh of Kingston, Ont., a vocal leader on the court, would round out the Gael's defensive effort, digging up 16 balls throughout five sets.
“We started out down in just about every set and they kept getting strong runs but we were able to keep coming back,” said Walsh on the win which puts the Gaels in second place in the OUA standings.
“When we were down 2-1 heading into the fourth set we knew that our team needed to bring the intensity and after winning that set we just carried our intensity over to the fifth and were able to take it.
"Our whole team was strong tonight and it helps to have a young group with so much energy that we can then turn into success.”
Laura Carmanico of Ottawa, Ont. led the Gee-Gee's with 12 kills and 14 digs. Only Kelsie English, also of Ottawa Ont., would dig up more balls for the Gee Gees, getting behind 19 balls to keep them in play.
The Gaels play next against the Western Mustangs on Febuary 4, 2012. They will take the court at home in the ARC @ 12pm.
The York University Lions women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to three games on Saturday (Jan. 28) with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-22) win over the Windsor Lancers at the St. Denis Centre in Windsor, Ont.
Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Humana-Paredes (Toronto), who is second in team scoring this season and ninth in league scoring with 3.41 points per game, chipped in 10 points and was deadly with the serve all afternoon, tying teammate Sheraine Henry (Oakville, Ont.) for the game-high in aces with three.
Ana Vrcelj (Windsor, Ont.) led the Lancers in scoring with 11 points and was a major presence at the net all afternoon, where she registered a game-high three blocks.
With the win, the Lions improve to 12-1 on the season and remain tops in the OUA with 24 points, just two points ahead of the pesky Queen's Gaels (11-5) but with three games in hand.
The Lancers looked sharp to open the match, rallying off four unanswered points to take a 4-0 lead early in the first set.
The Lions, however, eventually found their legs and respond with an 11-3 run of their own to take a commanding 11-7 lead. From there, they cruised to the set win and took a 1-0 lead.
Both teams would trade points to open the second set, playing to an 8-8 tie before the Lions pulled away on a 14-6 win to capture the second set.
With two sets in hand and all momentum on their side, the Lions would dominate early in the third set, first jumping out to a 6-0 lead then extending that lead to what seemed like an insurmountable eight points at 21-13.
The Lancers, however, showing a great deal of grit and determination, pieced together a late 9-2 run that reduced that big Lions' lead to just a single point at 23-22.
On the ropes, the Lions desperately needed to turn things around, and they did, calmly collecting the next two points to win the set and avert what would have been a disastrous collapse.
Source: Lions Athletics
London, Ont. - The McMaster women's volleyball team took out the Western Mustangs on Saturday afternoon, winning their fifth game in a row Set scores in favour of the Marauders were 25-23, 25-23, 13-25, 18-25, 15-9.
Up two sets to none, the Marauders were able to hold on for the win in the fifth set to take the win. McMaster now holds a plus .500 record at 8-6 with four regular season games left.
Middle Shannon McRobert recorded a game-high 20 points in the match with 12 kills and eight blocks. Third-year Kailee Stock earned another 19 points for McMaster with a game-high 17 kills and two aces. Taylor Brisebois added another 12 points and rookie Mira Krunic recorded double-digits as well with 10 more points for the Marauders.
For Western, four Mustangs hit double-digit points including Cloe Behrman with 15, Kendre Jefferson and Kelly Frittenberg with 12 and Laura Lytwynec.
Source: Marauders Athletics
Second-year right side hitter Charlotte Sider tallied 16 kills and 11 digs in leading the Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19) win over the RMC Paladins on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28) at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
The win leaves Toronto (10-4) tied with the Ottawa Gee-Gees (10-5) for third place. The Blues are two points behind the second-place Queen’s Gaels (11-5) but hold two games in hand over their counterparts from Kingston.
"We've been on the road quite a bit, so it was nice to play back at home," said Varsity Blues head coach Kristine Drakich. "We had some good moments but also some very scattered moments, so we were a bit up and down today. We did manage to do enough to get the points when we needed them."
Sider (Ottawa) added two blocks to her game-high kill-tally. Third-year player Rebecca Crosier recorded 10 kills and 13 digs, while Calgary native Katrina Rossall added 17 digs on the day. Malena Rapaport continued her stellar ball control with 28 assists in the win.
The Paladins were led by Chelsey Litjens and Melissa McCoy, who notched 14 kills apiece in the loss.
The Varsity Blues return to the court next Friday, February 5 as they travel to Guelph, Ont., to take on the Gryphons. Opening serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Source: Varsity Blues Athletics
GUELPH, Ont. - The Brock University women's volleyball team (9-6 OUA) dropped a 3-1 (25-22, 12-25, 25-21, 25-23) decision to the Guelph Gryphons on the road Saturday night.
Leading the Badgers offense was freshman Lauren Stirling (Whitby, Ont.) who recorded 11 kills and 13 digs for the double-double. Freshman Nicole Arthurs (Georgetown, Ont.) contributed with a career high 10 kills in her first career start. Senior Jennifer McKenzie (Surrey, BC) added nine kills, two block solos and six block assists while sophomore Lucy McLay (Stratford, Ont.) rounded out the Brock leaders chipping in with eight kills and 15 digs.
Sophomore libero Kayla Donahue (Ajax, Ont.) added 15 digs in the match, which included her 200th career dig as a Badger.
Senior setter Ally Fast (St. Catharines, Ont.) recorded 34 assists and nine digs. With three matches remaining in her career she has recorded 2967 assists and 957 digs, looking to become the first player in school history to register 3000 assists and 1000 digs.
The Badgers were without senior Rachel Roorda (St. George, Ont.) who ranks among OUA leaders in points and blocks.
The Badgers next action February 3rd when they take on the McMaster Marauders in Hamilton.
Source: Badgers Athletics
The McMaster women's volleyball team won in straight sets over the Windsor Lancers 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-14) on Sunday afternoon to secure their sixth consecutive win in conference play.
Shannon McRobert was the top scorer for McMaster with 15 points on 10 kills, 4 aces and 2 block assists. Kailee Stock also had 10 kills in the match finishing with 11 points. Amanda Weldon paced the offence with 28 assists.
The Lancers where led by Kaila Seguin's 7 points on 6 kills with 11 digs.
With the win the Marauders improved to 9-6 on the season good for a tie for fifth spot in the OUA with the Brock Badgers. McMaster returns to action on Friday, February 3 when they host Brock at 6:00 pm.
Source: Marauders Athletics
The No. 9 nationally-ranked York University Lions women's volleyball team increased its lead in the OUA standings with a 3-0 victory over the Western Mustangs on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 29) at Alumni Hall in London, Ont.
The Mustangs, who won the OUA championship last season, fell to 7-9 and are currently seventh in the OUA with 14 points.
Second-year outside hitters Brandie Wilkerson (Brampton, Ont.) and Melissa Humana-Paredes (Toronto) continued their tremendous seasons by leading the Lions in scoring again on this day. Wilkerson, who leads the league in scoring, finished the match with a game-high 14 points on 11 kills and three service aces. Humana-Paredes added 11 points and a game-high 15 digs.
Gina Morphy (Ottawa) did a fine job running the offence, finishing with 28 assists.
The Mustangs took an early lead in the first set but it was short-lived as the Lions found their legs as the set progressed and took it 25-16 for the 1-0 advantage.
The two teams traded points back and forth for much of the first half of the second set, and the Mustangs held the 16-13 lead at the technical timeout. But the Lions came out flying after the break and rattled off eight straight points for a 21-16 lead they would not relinquish. They went on to win the set 25-20 and take control of the match.
The Lions showed no signs of slowing down in the third as Morphy opened with an ace and the Lions put up six straight points to start the set before the Mustangs called a timeout to try and slow down the momentum. The Lions scored two more points after the timeout before the Mustangs got on the board because of a York service error. It was only a minor setback, however, as they cruised to a 16-6 lead at the technical timeout which all but secured the win.
It was more of the same at the end of the third as the Lions won 25-15 to take the match in straight sets.
Western's Serena Smith (Caledonia, Ont.) was the top scorer for the Mustangs with six points, all scored on kills. Rebecca Oxland (Vancouver) and Michaylan Caughlin finished with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
The Lions will hit the road next weekend for their final road trip of the regular season. They will be in Waterloo, Ont., on Friday night (Feb. 3) to face the Waterloo Warriors (6-9), and in Guelph, Ont., on Saturday (Feb. 4) for a game against the reigning OUA silver medallist Guelph Gryphons (6-9). Both matches will begin at 6pm.
Source: Lions Athletics
In order to keep pace with the second-place Queen’s Gaels, the Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team needed to win the Jan. 29 match against the Ryerson Rams at Montpetit Hall. And uOttawa got the job
done, despite some nervous moments in the early goings. After a 3-0 sweep of the Rams, the Gee-Gees are now once again tied with Queen’s for second place in the OUA with an 11-5 record.
Early in the match, the Gee-Gees lacked rhythm on offence, as their disorganized attacks were easily returned by the Rams. However, uOttawa was just a little bit better than the Rams in serving and
blocking, which allowed them to take an early 12-8 lead. Second-year LS/RS Karina Krueger Schwanke (Blumenau, Brazil) had the first memorable kill of the match with the score at 17-13, which led to a
Ryerson timeout. The Rams actually took a late 25-24 lead after a 5-0 run, but uOttawa regrouped just in time to win 27-25.
“I think the match was won in game one, where we weathered the storm. They were at game point, and we found a way to finish. I said to my team after the game that if we come out exactly the same in game two, I think we’ll dominate. And that’s what we did,” said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods.
The Gee-Gees stepped up their intensity in the second set, taking a 14-1 lead, thanks to strong serving by second-year LS/M Myriam English (Orleans, Ont.). Ryerson made a comeback attempt late in the set, but uOttawa was able to close it out 25-17, with fourth-year middle Kathryn Weihrer (Ottawa, Ont.) delivering the final blow.
Once again, the Gee-Gees jumped out to a big 8-1 lead in the third set, with their offence finally in sync. Third-year setter Christina Grail (London, Ont.) had two of her patented off-speed kills, while Schwanke impressed the fans with her hustle on defence. The Rams did not go down without a fight, however, as they came back to take an 18-16 lead. Despite the slight setback, the Gee-Gees eventually outplayed Ryerson down the stretch, and won 25-22.
“Everyone was consistent for most of the game. We had pretty good passing, but we just let up a little bit at times. But overall, it was a good team effort, and no one ever gave up,” said Grail.
“It wasn’t a pretty match, but we looked mature out there. Ryerson is going to take a real shot at making the playoffs, no question. I think they were one of the most improved teams we’ve seen all season,” said
Woods.
After the weekend split, the Gee-Gees still control their own destiny in terms of earning a first-round playoff home game. The Gee-Gees will now welcome the Lakehead Thunderwolves to Montpetit Hall on Feb. 2.
