“GETTING THE REQUISITE RESULTS WILL HARDLY BE A PIECE OF CAKE, [BUT] THE RECIPE IS SIMPLE: WIN AND YOU’RE IN.”
After 18 games of regular-season play, the OUA Women’s Volleyball playoff picture is murky as ever. In fact, there isn’t a single team in the top 14 whose final ranking is confirmed – and the Gee-Gees are one of them.
Their upcoming matches against the Queen’s Gaels will determine whether they make the OUA playoffs, and while getting the requisite results will hardly be a piece of cake, the recipe is simple: win and you’re in.
As it stands, the Gee-Gees enter the final weekend in the eighth and final playoff spot; their 9-9 record tied with the Waterloo Warriors.
The good news? Ottawa control their own fate: they’re assured to hang on to the #8 seed if they win both their matches, or if they otherwise end up with the same number of wins as Waterloo. The Gee-Gees hold the tiebreakers over the Warriors both in terms of points and ratio of sets won.
The bad news is that they play Queen’s (13-5) and their province-best offense, whose nine consecutive wins are the longest active streak in the OUA. Queen’s had a slow start to the season after graduating four starters including reigning (back-to-back) OUA Player of the Year Hannah Duscheneau, but they’ve played flawless volleyball since a shocking loss to Lakehead in November.
Waterloo – the only team the Gee-Gees are realistically competing with for the #8 seed – face the 12-6 Guelph Gryphons. The Gryphons have had a very solid season; led by setter Sophie Sommerfeldt (1st in the OUA with 9.13 assists/set), they split their series with Western (14-4) and Windsor (13-5) while handily beating every team ranked below them.
Coming off a bye week, and on a six-game win streak, Guelph can lend a huge helping hand to the Gee-Gees’ cause: two wins by the Gee-Gees and Gryphons combined will see Ottawa into the playoffs.
The final hurdle
The last time Ottawa had a chance at making the playoffs this late in the season was in 2016-17, the team’s first season in the RSEQ. Back in winter ‘17, the Gee-Gees entered the final weekend at 9-9, tied with the Laval Rouge et Or and with a chance to secure anywhere from the #2 to #5 seed in the six-team RSEQ, where the top-four squads made the playoffs.
Devastatingly, Ottawa lost both matches on the road and missed out on postseason volleyball by a hair – tied with Sherbrooke at 9-11, the Vert et Or took the fourth and final spot via a better ratio of sets won.
The Gee-Gees haven’t been to the playoffs in the nine years since that last heartbreak, most recently qualifying in 2015-16.
Key players
#6 Claire Carter, Left Side, Queen’s: A third-year phenom, Carter’s .307 hitting efficiency is far and away the best in the conference amongst outside hitters. In fifth place, she’s the only player in the OUA’s top-15 in hitting efficiency who isn’t a middle blocker. She’s also second in aces per set this season, and the Gee-Gees know her all too well – she blew eight aces past them across two matches last season.
#16 Audrey Odigie, Left Side, Ottawa: Not to be outdone, Odigie has once again put herself in the conversation as one of the best players in the conference. Fresh off an OUA First Team All-Star nod, Odigie has made her case for another by surpassing last year’s per-set averages in kills, digs, and blocks. A playoff appearance is the only thing missing from her sparkling resume, and she’s got the chance to will her team there this weekend.
Senior night
As Ottawa can’t make up enough ground to host an OUA Quarterfinal, these will be the final career home matches for four graduating Gee-Gees. The team will celebrate middle blockers Christine Hachokake and Janae McKay, libero Brynn Lewis, and setter Harper Schaefer on Saturday, Feb. 14th.
Where to watch
The first serve between the Gee-Gees and Gaels will be shortly after 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13th and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14th. The Gee-Gees can lock up a playoff spot with a win (and some help from Guelph) on Friday, get your tickets here to be there live at Montpetit Hall! Out-of-town fans can catch the games on OUA.tv.
