The Gee-Gees are now 0-9 in the season after falling short in three close sets
For the third time this season, the University of Ottawa women’s volleyball team was matched up against the Montreal Carabins. In their first two meetings, the Gee-Gees fell to the Carabins 3-0 and 3-1. This time, the Gee-Gees had the crowd on their side.
Entering play on Sunday, the Carabins were tied for first in the league while the Gee-Gees sat at the bottom of the standings.
“You just have to take each game as a new game, there’s no other way,” said U of O setter Emily Lenton “You just have to go at it every time, back at it again every day. It’s always a new game.”
The first set was close, showing improvement on the Gee-Gees side of the net. The first time these teams met, the U of O dropped sets 25-12, 25-16, and, 25-11. However, even with the set close, the Gee-Gees were never able to pull ahead.
At 20-18 for Montreal, the Gee-Gees were up to serve but didn’t get the ball over the net. In the next point, U of O’s star hitter Kara Hayes sent a nice kill just out the back of the court.
On the other side of the net, Montreal’s Adryanna Dorismond-Rodrigue was not going easy on the Gee-Gees. With the opportunity to take the set 24-18, Dorismond-Rodrigue missed her serve, giving the Grey and Garnet one last opportunity to catch up and take the set for themselves. Dorismond-Rodrigue redeemed herself with a hit the Gee’s return and Montreal took the first set 25-19.
The second set started with the Gee-Gees clawing back from small deficits, then falling behind again and again until Dana Bulloch, a fourth-year blocker, was at the line to serve. With Bulloch serving, the U of O tied the game at 15.
The Carabins scored the next point, then pulled ahead 16-15 with a kill from Dorismond-Rodrigue. Refusing to back down, Hayes answered the attack with her own.
Soon, the score was even at 22.
The U of O made a substitution, bringing freshman Trinity Lusan on the court to serve. She would earn the Gee-Gees their last point of the set. Montreal took the final points, winning the second set 25-24.
The third set was a must-win for the Gee-Gees.
The team came out with the lead, making it 3-0 before the Carabins were able to get past the U of O.
Even then, the Gee-Gees continued to act as the dominant team. Lenton set up each of her hitters perfectly, with Hayes, Bulloch, and Nieve Seguin all contributing kills to make the score 9-4. Bulloch was huge at the net, and a nice tip over the Montreal blockers put the Gee-Gees up 13-9.
Things were looking good for the Gees, but Dorismond-Rodrigue and Olympe Desmedt were able to find the gaps on the U of O’s sides.
Montreal captured the lead at 16-15 but the Gees did not let them run away with it. From there, the game was a close back and forth, the teams taking turns tying the game. Tied again at 20, Seguin was at the serving line and put the Gee-Gees up by one. Unfortunately, that was the last lead they had, and the Carabins finished off the set 25-23.
Falling to the Carabins for the third time this season, the Gee-Gees and Carabins will meet one final time in the regular season on Jan. 9.
The U of O is now 0-9 and is looking to capture a win and turn things around
“Our timing has been a little off, we’re just trying to get everybody at their best at the same time,” Lenton explained.
The Gee-Gees next chance will be on Saturday back at home against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. On Dec. 1, they will take on the Laval Rouge et Or at 2 p.m. at Montpetit Hall Gym for their last game before the break.
Read More:
- Path to varsity status opens up for men’s volleyball team
- Meet a Gee-Gee: Nieve Seguin
- Women’s volleyball drops second match against McGill
