W-VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: Last match victories give RMC and Guelph playoff berths
Brock Badgers @ Waterloo Warriors
WATERLOO, Ont. - The Brock University women's volleyball team (10-7 OUA) swept the Waterloo Warriors 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-17) Friday night at the Waterloo Physical Activities Complex.
Senior setter Ally Fast (St. Catharines, Ont.) recorded her 10th double-double of the season finishing with 23 assists and 13 digs in the victory. She is now just 22 digs shy of becoming the first Brock player to register a combined 3000 assists and 1000 digs in a career.
For the Warriors, Laura Klein recorded nine kills and 12 digs. Natasha Spaling and Danielle Kamps both chipped in with six kills each in the loss.
Source: Badgers Athletics
In an exciting and hard fought match, the women's volleyball team could not quite get over the hill against the RMC Paladins, losing 3-1 on Friday evening (23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 22-25). But the loss did not come from lacking of trying. The T-Wolves had 32 more attacks than the Paladins (172 to 140) and seemed ever so close to winning several long rallies that saw bodies fly, sweat pour and the 250+ fans in the Thunderdome on the edge of their seats.
Lakehead was led by Michelle Cournoyer (Fort Frances) with 13 points (10 kills, 3 blocks, .364 attack %). Claire Morrison was another big contributor with 11 kills (.300 attack %) and 4 digs. Libero Breanne Hilhorst had 13 digs, while the setting was split between Sara Hudson (14 assists, 6 kills) and Vanessa Masters (11 assists, 3 kills).
In the end it was not to be, as the Paladins came up with the big plays down the stretch. They had no shortage of motivation, as they needed to win on Friday to have a chance at making the playoffs, which will be on the line in tomorrow's match. It will be up to Lakehead to play the 'spoiler' role, and finish their season on a high note. Tomorrow will be not only the end of the season for the T-Wolves, but also the end of a career for 5th year veteran Michelle Cournoyer who will be graduated in traditional 'senior's night' fashion.
Coach Chris Green: "Full marks for RMC - coming on the road and playing hard. On our side it was about execution on crucial points. Really the one aspect that hurts us all year, the crucial opportunities. We get an over-bump and we don't block it. We get a free ball, and we do not hit according to our plan. If our target is to hit line over the shorter blocker then we MUST do it, not hit the big blocker. I guess we still are learning this. I have to give full credit to Vanessa Masters who came in and ran a great offence, provided us with good blocking and an extra attacker. Claire Morrison, great game from her. She has been struggling as of late but now in 2 games she has come in and done some amazing things. Sarah Reid served and dug well. Michelle Cournoyer,well what can I say, she has become such a force. Just works so hard. Tomorrow will be the same kind of game. I think both teams are evenly matched and the team that capitalizes on its chances will be the one smiling tomorrow. We must serve tougher and we cannot commit 12 service errors. I mean with only 3 aces that ratio better be 1 to 1. Good defence though, 172 total attacks and 140 from RMC, that means this was a long and exciting game. We regroup and get back at it tomorrow. I expect us to be better, sharper and finish those opportunities."
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
Toronto - The McMaster women's volleyball team continued their win streak on Saturday afternoon with a big win over the Toronto Varsity Blues. In their eighth win in a row, the Marauders took down the Blues in four.
The Marauders won the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-23. The Blues wouldn't give it up that easily though as they won the third 25-22. In the fourth, McMaster sealed the deal with a 25-21 set win for their 11th win of the season.
Outside hitter Kailee Stock scored a game-high 19 kills in the win. Middle Shannon McRobert added another 13 points for McMaster with nine kills and four blocks and libero Meagan Nederveen had a team-high 19 digs. Setter Amanda Weldon recorded 36 assists and 10 digs.
For the Blues, Charlotte Sider recorded a game-high 22 points with 17 kills and five blocks. Denise Woodling had 15 points and Sarah Chapin added 10 more for Toronto.
The York University Lions women's volleyball team got back to its winning ways on Saturday (Feb. 11) with a 3-1 (25-11, 26-28, 25-15, 25-21) win over the Ryerson Rams in an unexpectedly spirited tilt at Tait McKenzie Centre.
Melissa Humana-Paredes (Toronto) led all scorers with 19 points on 11 kills, one block and a game-high seven service aces, followed by Brandie Wilkerson (Brampton, Ont.), who had 17 points on the afternoon, which included a game-high 13 kills.
Thinesa Sriskandarajah (Scarborough, Ont.) and Sheraine Henry (Oakville, Ont.) were the top defenders with 17 digs and two blocks, respectively.
Alexandra Whyte (Whitby, Ont.) led the Rams with 11 points, followed by Chelsea Jensen (Georgetown, Ont.) with 10.
With the win, the Lions improved to 15-2 on the year and eliminated the Rams from playoff contention. The Rams needed an upset win against the Lions to keep their season alive, but it was not to be. Unfortunately for the Rams, the Lions lost to the Guelph Gryphons (8-9) last week and needed the win in order to build some momentum heading into the playoffs, so they brought close to their A-game on Saturday, and it was too much for the Rams to overcome.
The Lions tore it up in the first set. After falling behind 2-1 to start the frame, they would put together a 13-0 run led by Humana-Paredes, who fired off five aces on the drive, and Henry, who contributed a pair of points at the net.
The Lions would cruise to the set win from there, with Tisha Rouse (Brampton, Ont.) ending things on her first ace.
Things did not go as smoothly for the Lions in the second, however. After both squads traded points for the first half of the set, the Rams would open up a 15-12 lead on an ace from Laura Bredschneider and take a 16-13 lead into the technical timeout on a kill from Jensen.
The Rams led by as many as five points in the frame, but the Lions would pull things even at 21-21 thanks to back-to-back points from Allison Peters (London, Ont.), followed by a kill and yet another ace from Humana-Paredes.
Both teams would trade points from there, but the Rams eventually held serve and took the set 28-26.
The Lions would thankfully find their game again in the third and dominate the Rams, much like they did in the first.
After the Rams tied things up at 8-8 on a kill from Jensen and a follow-up ace from Danielle Lenarduzzi (Windsor, Ont.), the Lions hunkered down and put together an 8-3 run, capped by a Humana-Paredes ace, to take a 16-11 lead into the technical.
The Lions continued to roll following the timeout, winning nine of the next 13 points to take the set in convincing fashion. Humana-Paredes hit a monster kill that gave the Lions set point, and Henry closed things out with a huge block.
The Rams, however, refused to roll over in the fourth and, instead, fought the Lions all the way to the end.
The Rams jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the set before Wilkerson tied things up at 6-6 almost single-handedly with a pair of kills and back-to-back aces.
Both teams would trade leads from there with Chelsea Briscoe (Georgetown, Ont.) throwing down a kill and getting up for a block on the very next play to give the Rams a 11-9 lead before Wilkerson responded with three points on a 7-3 run that set up a 16-14 Lions' lead at the technical.
The lead continued to change hands for the remainder of the set until the Lions finally put a string of points together late on kills from Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes to go along with a block from Henry.
The Rams committed an error on the following play, which set up match point at 24-21. Sriskandarajah would close out the match with a monster kill.
Source: Lions Athletics
It was with a hail of applause that the Thunderwolves' season came to a resounding halt on Saturday evening in the Thunderdome, as the RMC Paladins punched their ticket to the OUA play-offs with a 3-0 victory (25-21, 25-18, 25-20).
Jenna Gunter (Selkirk, MB) led Lakehead with 10 kills (.250 attacks %) and had 5 digs. Brittany MacLeod (Winnipeg, MB) had 6 kills on 12 attempts, while 5th year senior Michelle Cournoyer (Fort Frances), who was playing in her final game as a Thunderwolf, had 6 points, with 5 kills and Lakehead's only block of the match. Libero Breanne Hilhorst (Killarney, MB) had 12 digs.
Michelle Cournoyer was honored for her 5 years of dedication to Thunderwolves Volleyball in a pre-game ceremony that included her parents and friends. She was presented with a bouquet, a framed jersey, and at the end of the match, the game ball - signed by all of her teammates.
Coach Chris Green post game: “Michelle Cournoyer's last night as a member of the Thunderwolves Volleyball team did not go the way I expected. However she will be an alumni forever. Our plan tonight was good, and we did adjust from yesterdays game. However, again we did not have all of our players show up at the same time. I was proud of Michelle. Jenna Gunter gave us her best game of the year, and I feel a true sign of her oncourt possibilities tonight. Again we saw Vanessa Masters from Thunder Bay shine and show everyone what we do here. We work to make all players grow to their potential. Vanessa is a case study of this policy at work. Volleyball in Thunder Bay is alive and she is only the start of the pipeline here."
Moving forward, Green notes, "We have quality players who will now take a short rest and begin their prep for next season. Jen Casey responded with BIG kills again after rolling her ankle last night and being able to go today. I am very proud of her. This is one of the best groups of athletes and people I have ever worked with. Our fans see it and we know the game is exciting. Thank you to all our fans. You inspire us!!"
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
The York University Lions women's volleyball team dominated the McMaster Marauders in a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-14) victory on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 12) in their regular season finale, snapping McMaster's eight-game winning streak.
The win also kept the Lions unbeaten streak at home intact, and the rest of the OUA playoffs will run through the Tait McKenzie Centre should the Lions win their quarter-final match next weekend.
As they have been all season, the two most dominant players for the Lions were sophomore outside hitters Brandie Wilkerson (Brampton, Ont.) and Melissa Humana-Paredes (Toronto), who both finish the regular season ranked among the OUA's top 10 in scoring. Wilkerson ended the game with 14 points on 11 kills, two service aces and one block, to be the OUA's leading scorer with 4.29 points per set, while Humana-Paredes had 11 points, all on kills, and finished tied for seventh with 3.56 points per set. Both players also had 11 digs in the contest.
McMaster's Shannon McRobert (Whitby, Ont.) was the leading scorer for her team with 12 points on seven kills, three service aces and five assisted blocks. She also had seven digs.
The Marauders won the first point of the match but the Lions quickly took control of the first set, building a lead as big as four early, at 10-6. The Marauders made several attempts to chip away at the lead but never got closer than three and were down by five at the first technical timeout. Coming out of the break the Lions continued to pressure the Marauders and added to their lead, eventually winning 25-20.
The Lions continued that strong play into the second set and won six straight points to build a 7-1 lead, eventually growing it to 14-5. But McMaster then put together their own six-point streak to narrow the lead to 14-11, and the score was 16-12 at the technical timeout. They narrowed the gap to three after the break but the Lions pulled away down the stretch again and won 25-20.
The Marauders played much better to start the third set, at one point leading 10-7. But a service error by Lauren Skelley gave the Lions a point to make the score 12-12 and from there the home team cruised. Starting setter Tisha Rouse (Brampton, Ont.) went on to serve 13 straight points, punctuated by three service aces and two kills each by Wilkerson, Humana-Paredes and Stephanie Green (Ottawa), to give the Lions match point. They were unable to convert the first one but made good on the third on a kill by Allison Peters (London, Ont.) to earn the 25-14 win.
Head coach Nick Tran put graduating seniors Dayna Herold (Sudbury, Ont.) and Clarie Leewing (Toronto) into the starting line-up for the first time this season and they made the most of the opportunity. Herold, playing libero, finished with nine digs while Leewing had six points on four kills, one service ace and two assisted blocks.
With the regular season now over the Lions will turn their attention to the playoffs, beginning with a quarter-final game next weekend against the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins, who earned the eighth seed. The match will begin at 1pm at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
Source: Lions Athletics
The Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team wrapped up their 2011-12 regular season campaign with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 26-24) win over the Ryerson Rams on Sunday afternoon at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
The Blues finish the season tied with McMaster for fourth place with identical 11-7 records, but finish fifth on account of their head-to-head record. Toronto will play a quarter-final at McMaster next Saturday, February 18. Game time is TBD.
The Blues dominated the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead into the third frame. The Rams found their ground and built a 19-14 late in the set. The Blues rallied back and went on a 12-5 run, led by a couple of huge blocks from Sarah Chapin, to take secure the shut out victory.
Sophomore left side hitter Rebecca Crosier led the Blues with seven kills and seven digs, while Denise Wooding had six kills and nine digs. Setter Malena Rapaport tallied 22 assists and 12 digs, while Chapin ended the game with four blocks and four kills.
Ryerson was led by Chelsea Jensen’s 10-kill, 17-dig performance in the loss.
Source: Varsity Blues Athletics
With a spot in the OUA playoffs on the line, the Guelph Gryphon women’s volleyball team swept the Brock Badgers 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at Brock. Set scores were 25-20, 25-13 and 25-18.
With the win, the Gryphons finish seventh in the OUA with a 9-9 regular season record and 18 points. The Gryphons will now travel to Ottawa this Saturday (Feb. 18) to battle the second-seeded Gee Gees. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
The first set did not start well for Guelph, as some early jitters saw them fall behind 5-1. The Gryphons quickly righted to the ship and scored the next seven points to take a lead that they would never relinquish winning 25-20.
Two five-point runs early in set two enabled Guelph to open up a big lead and take the set 25-13.
The third set was side-out volleyball early on but the Gryphons gradually forged a 16-12 lead at the technical timeout. Brock narrowed the gap to three, but could get no closer as Guelph pulled away to win the set and the match at 25-18.
“Today we played a very solid match in a pressure situation,” said coach Paul Funk. “The girls were focused during their preparations and stayed on an even keel emotionally during the match which is the way we will have to be next weekend against Ottawa.”
Kaitlyn Krizmanich (Carlisle, ON) led the Guelph offense today with 15 points (13 kills, 1 ace, 1 block) followed by Erinn Bickle (Whitby, ON) with 11 (7 kills, 4 blocks) and Brooke Lloyd (Whitby, ON) with 9 (7 kills, 1 ace, 1 block).
Source: Gryphons Athletics
