Holding strong as the second-ranked women’s program in the country, Brock’s women’s volleyball team punched their ticket to the OUA semi-finals after a convincing 3-0 sweep of the Western Mustangs on Feb. 24th.
After beating the Waterloo Warriors on the 21st in the first round to advance to the quarter-finals, the province’s ninth-ranked Mustangs had little go their way against the Badgers.
Western managed to tread water in the early stages of the first set, keeping the score within two. However, up 9-7, Brock soon managed to pull away.
Setter Sara Rohr took control of the set at that point, landing three straight service aces to extend Brock’s lead to 13-7.
Rohr’s streak set the table for the rest of the Badgers’ attack and contributed to a 13-3 run, putting them ahead 21-10. Brock then scored four points to Western’s two, winning the set by a convincing 25-12, leaving most of the Mustangs’ points being scored before either side hit double-digit points.
After faltering in the back half of the first set, Western came back with a determined effort to open set two.
After several Badger errors and three kills by Mustang Lael Harrison, Western managed to take eight of the set’s first 11 points for a five-point lead. Nevertheless, Brock, thanks to five combined kills from Madison Chimienti, Emily Foest and Gigi Markotic, the Badgers were able to tie the game at eight before taking a 9-8 lead.
In what proved to be the evening’s most competitive set—and the only one where the Mustangs hit above .100 per cent—Western was able to stay with the Badgers long enough to keep things threatening.
After the Mustangs tied the game back up at nine, Brock went on a 10-2 run to put some distance between themselves and their challengers. Though Western outscored the Badgers 7-6 from that point forward, it was a futile effort as they still lost the set 25-19.
In set three, with their backs against the wall, the Mustangs were again able to admirably keep stride in the first half before crumbling in the second half. Western led with a 1-4 margin before Brock closed the gap and went ahead 6-5. Though Western was able to even the score twice following the lead change, once the Badgers scored two straight to go up 9-7, there was no turning back.
The Mustangs got within one down 10-9, but that was the extent of their comeback. Committing five errors and surrendering two aces, Western gave up seven straight points, falling behind 17-9.
That run spelled the end for the Mustangs and for their season. Brock would outscore Western 8-4 the rest of the way, taking the set 25-13 and advancing to the OUA semi-finals.
Markotic and Chimienti—who was named Player of the Game—were the standout performers for the Badgers. Markotic led both teams with 11 kills, while also adding two aces and three blocks. Chimienti had an incredibly efficient night on the attack, putting down nine kills on 13 attempts, all while committing only a lone error. In addition to her three aces in the first set, Rohr added two more down the stretch to complement her game-high 31 assists.
Brock plays their semi-final game next Friday, March 1st facing off against the TMU Bold who, in their win over the University of Toronto, won their first playoff match in five years. On a seven-game win streak, it will be up to the Badgers to halt their momentum.
For more information and Brock’s full playoff schedule, visit gobadgers.ca.
