Sunday, November 24, 2024
Brock's Only Independent Student Newspaper
One of the only worker-owned and operated newspapers in Canada

Women’s Volleyball shine through the first two OUA playoffs games 

|
|

Between the end of February and the beginning of March, the Badgers women’s volleyball team had an eventful week.

After securing the top spot in the OUA off of the strength of an 18-2 record and a seven-game win streak, the Badgers kicked off their playoff season on Feb. 25. At home in Bob Davis Gymnasium for the quarter final match against the eighth-ranked Windsor Lancers – the Badgers looked to get their postseason started on the right note.

True to form, Brock scorched out to a quick 10-2 first-set lead thanks to some excellent hitting at the net. The Lancers pushed back to make things a little bit more respectable, but were unable to overcome Brock’s huge early lead. The Badgers claimed a comfortable first set, 25-15.

The Lancers had some more battle to start the third set, but weren’t able to maintain that energy for long. Brock’s net presence continued to be dominant, posting 14 kills on only two errors. Pulling away late, Brock also took the second set, 25-16.

Windsor was able to fix many of their issues in the final set. Previously, the Lancers had struggled mightily at the net, and in the third set, they posted their highest kill total, their fewest errors, and, for the first time in the game, a hitting percentage above 0.150.

Nevertheless, Brock, who had been strong in those areas all evening, continued to shine. Brock dealt with Windsor, once again handily, taking the final set 25-17 and securing a spot in the OUA Semi Finals.

Brock’s play at the net was the biggest difference, scoring 38 kills on only six errors, contributing to a healthy 0.478 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Laurin Ainsworth, Sadie Dick and Madison Chimienti lead the way, each putting up a game-high eight kills. Setter Sara Rohr had another exceptional 31 assist night, while Aleiah Torres added eight digs, double that of Windsor’s leader.

One week later, on Saturday, March 4, the Badgers were back in action again for their Semi Final match with a chance to get another shot at the Quigley Cup.

Their competition was the York Lions, the fifth place team in the OUA who’d upset McMaster a week earlier. York, of course, was hoping to continue their Cinderella story and knock off the defending champs at home.

The Badgers got to work from the hop, while York seemed to need a little time to get warmed up.

Brock quickly established a 13-4 lead, capitalizing a number of York errors and generating plenty of points themselves. While Brock had a 12:2 kill to error ratio on 0.400 hitting, York nearly matched their number of kills with their number of errors, losing the set 25-16.

By set two however, York seemed to be adequately warmed-up. Cleaning up their act at the net, York stole six of the set’s first eight points to give them an early edge. Though Brock would claw back to close the gap, York was able to maintain their edge and, on a final service ace, took the second set 27-25.

Now looking a lot more like a semi-final match, both sides were locked at 10. Pulling ahead by a couple — thanks to a serving streak from Madison Tuck — the Badgers scored eight of the set’s last nine points to secure a 25-16 win.

Not willing to let their season die without a fight, York stormed ahead 10-5 in the fourth with Jessica Reynolds and Olivia Kim doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The Badgers kept chipping away, but the Lions held their slight lead until they were tied at 17. York couldn’t separate themselves from the Badgers by more than a point after that. 

Finally wearing them down, the Badgers collected five-straight points to go up 24-20. On a Sara Rohr kill, the Badgers defeated the Lions 25-21 and advanced to the Quigley Cup.

Saturday’s win was a total team effort. Every Badger hit above 0.100 and a number of them filled the stat card.

Sadie Dick was phenomenal with 17 kills and four blocks. Chimienti was also incredibly impressive, posting 13 kills, four assists and 11 digs. Grace Pyatt and Emily Foest also added 11 and eight kills, respectively, in addition to six digs and nine digs, respectively.

As I am sure comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, Sara Rohr led the game with an absurd 52 assists while Aleiah Torres once again led the game with 18 digs.

Brock moves on to the U-Sports Quigley Cup for the third season where they will face the Queen’s Gaels. Being the top seed in the OUA, Brock will have the championship match at Bob Davis Gymnasium on Saturday, Mar. 11. For more information, please go to the women’s volleyball page on GoBadgers.ca.

More by this author

RELATED ARTICLES

Projecting Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster 

After years of waiting to watch Canada’s hockey superstars compete against the world’s top talents in a best-on-best tournament, the 4 Nations Face-Off is under three months away with Canada set to open their tournament against Sweden on Feb. 12. The only question that remains is which players will be suiting up in red and white come February, and which players will miss the cut on a very talented roster. 

Badgers Women’s basketball dominates with fourth consecutive win  

The Badger Women’s basketball team is on fire, claiming their fourth consecutive victory with an impressive 73-59 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Nov. 9 at the Bob Davis Gym.  

How A.I. is transforming the world of sports

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is gradually becoming a part of our everyday lives, shaping how we work and communicate. In the world of sports, A.I. has taken on an increasingly vital role, transforming everything from player performance analysis to injury prevention and fan engagement. As A.I. technology continues to advance, its impact on sports is expected to grow, changing the game for athletes, coaches and fans.  

Climate change threatens the future of outdoor sports  

As climate change intensifies with each passing year, its impacts are reaching deeper into every corner of our lives, including the world of outdoor sports. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is beginning to reshape how and where these sports can be played.  

Maya Turner continues making history becoming first woman named Canada West Football All-Star 

Maya Turner’s inspirational story continues to be written, achieving another accolade being named as a 2024 Canada West All-Star, becoming the first woman to earn football all-star honours in any U Sports conference. 

Heyes and the Badgers shine from three in win over Waterloo 

The Brock Badgers men’s basketball team beat the Waterloo Warriors 78-66 on Nov. 9, dominating from the three-point line at the Bob Davis Gymnasium. 

Football’s hidden dangers to players’ health  

As one of the world’s most popular sports, American football comes with high stakes that extend beyond the game. The intensity and physical demand put players at significant risk for injuries, many of which have lasting, life-altering impacts — with brain injury being one of the worst.  

Racism Black athletes face in sports today  

In the world of sports, media coverage often shines brightest on athletes’ accomplishments, yet for Black athletes, it frequently casts a shadow of bias and scrutiny based solely on race.