Women’s volleyball team wins game in straight sets
ON JAN. 21, the University of Ottawa’s women’s volleyball team (10-4) hosted the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (9-4) at Montpetit Hall. The game was the Gee-Gees’ first regular season home game of 2012. Although the Gees were trailing the Varsity Blues in the standings prior to the game, the home team managed to triumph over their division rivals, and they now sit in second place in the Ontario University Athletics division.
T
he Garnet and Grey set the tone early when second-year left side player Myriam English put the Gees up 1-0 with a powerful cross-court hit on the first rally of the game. The Varsity Blues managed to keep the first set competitive, as few mistakes were made on both sides of the court. Ultimately, the home team came out on top, 25-21.
The second set began as a tight race, with the score tied at 5-5. The Gees soon pulled away, in large part due to second-year left/right side player Karina Krueger Schwanke nailing 15 serves in a row to put the U of O team up 20-5. The set ended in favour of the Gees, 25-15.
“I’ve been practising really hard this last week to make sure I could be consistent enough,” said Schwanke of her serving. “I was trusting my assistant coach, who was giving me the directions to where to serve, and we worked just like Batman and Robin out there. It was awesome.”
With the Varsity Blues down two sets to none, they were unable to muster the strength for a comeback. The Gees’ powerful attacks at the net and consistent serving proved too much for the visitors, and the Gees won the third and final set 25-17.
“We’re doing what we want to do, we’re just playing really solid, consistent team volleyball,” said Ottawa’s head coach Lionel Woods after the game. “We had a general game plan, but the main emphasis of our game planning right now is to play our system, believe in ourselves, modify during a match, and play tough.”
The Gees were back at Montpetit Hall on Jan. 22, when they hosted a division rival, the University of Brock Badgers (9-5). Ottawa’s strong serving continued, and the Garnet and Grey won the game in three sets, 25-16, 25-23, and 25-17.
The Gee-Gees will play their next game in Kingston, Ont. on Jan. 27, when they will be hosted by the Queen’s University Golden Gaels (10-5).
—Keeton Wilcock
