Gee-Gees get two wins against Queen’s and RMC
The ever-competitive Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team began its season with two victories this weekend, against Queen’s University on Oct. 25 and Royal Military College (RMC) on Oct. 27. They also began their season with three new players on the roster, which means a whole new dynamic.
“All of our conference is pretty strong this year, but usually York and Queen’s are pretty strong,” explained fourth-year social science student Kelsie English.
Despite winning 3–0 against Queen’s, the calibre of the play was clear, particularly in the third and final set of the game. Every set was won by the Gees: 25–20, 25–20, and 25–23.
The Gaels took an early lead in the third with solid offensive play. Gees’ head coach Lionel Woods said the team dropped the ball a couple times, but the team came back strong to win the final set. The intensity of the game kept the crowd on its toes.
First-year setter Hélène Gardiner and first-year quarterback Kaly Soro had the chance to prove themselves amongst more experienced players.
“It’s pretty interesting. We had a first-year setter, a first-year quarterback, so you just don’t know,” said Woods.
Soro delivered a strong performance with kills during each set, particularly in the final.
“I feel very lucky that I do get to play because most first-years don’t play and I feel pretty confident as a rookie,” said Soro. “When I get a big kill, it’s always a good pump up; it will clear my mind from all my errors.”
Their second game against RMC was a different shade of victory. The Gees won each set with a score of 25–6, 25–20, and 25–12 and the game ended 3–0 in just under an hour and half.
“The game had different speeds to it,” said Woods. “We set the tempo early and we tried to hang on to that tempo, and I thought the girls did that, and I was really excited about it.”
Woods said the team was prepared and felt like they were a month ahead of where he wanted them to be before these two games. This translated well on the court with strong, solid team play against Queen’s and RMC. If the team follows suit for the rest of the season, they will be making a solid run for the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship.
“The two wins were a first step to an OUA championship,” said English. “[I] loved the crowd today, it was cool. We are glad that everyone showed up for our first game.”
The women’s volleyball team will play their next game Nov. 2 at Nipissing.
