Brock’s women’s volleyball team didn’t leave much to chance this weekend, playing in their last two games before the holiday break, handily defeating Lakehead University in two straight-set victories.
Entering the match as a bottom-five team in the OUA, Lakehead surprised the Badgers by going up 3-0 to start set one, but quickly gave up 15 of the next 17 points, falling behind 15-5. The Badgers then score 10 of the next 15 points, decimating Lakehead in a 25-10 set one victory. Brock finished with 10 kills (their lowest set total of the weekend) on only two errors. Lakehead committed 10 errors to only five kills.
Lakehead had much more success in set two, recording their highest number of kills (16) and fewest errors (6).
Lakehead were able to eek out a 5-2 lead early, and though the Badgers fought back to make it close, Lakehead held onto the lead for much of the second set. However, late in the set down 18-16, Brock turned the set on its head by scoring the next five points to take a 21-18 lead. Lakehead made things close in the end, but it still wasn’t enough as the Badgers took the set 25-22.
Though set three ended in a close score, the Badgers were largely in the driver’s seat for the whole set. Brock took a commanding 15-9 lead early that Lakehead picked away at down the stretch. The closest things got was when Lakehead turned a 12-17 deficit into only a 16-17 one, though the score would not come within two again. After another strong set with 16 kills to 5 errors, the Badgers took another 25-22 set and a 3-0 match victory.
The two squads lined up again on Dec. 2nd, and luckily for Lakehead, the Badgers would struggle significantly more at their net, giving up six or more errors in all three sets. Unluckily for Lakehead, the Badgers were just as quick to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes.
Brock blew them out of the water to begin set one, opening with a 10-1 run. Lakehead inched their way closer throughout, but seemed out of the set when they went down 20-10. Though the Badgers got complacent and let Lakehead bring it back to 24-18, Brock still closed out the first set.
In set two, Lakehead established a lead to open the set, but soon squandered it when Brock went on a six-point run to turn 10-7 into 13-10. Lakehead kept things competitive but were outscored 12-10 from there on out, leaving Brock winning set two.
Unlike most other sets this weekend, set three of game two stayed interesting until the final point. Brock secured an early 4-1 lead that Lakehead was able to draw to a tie at 10-10. Both sides traded points from there, neither side able to pull ahead by more than two.
Tied 23-23 with a legitimate chance to win, Lakehead committed a service error than gave up an ace, losing the set 25-23.
Freshman Daryan Chadwick led both sides with 12 kills in game, while Emily Foest led with three aces, and Mackenna Knox led in assists (36) and digs (12).
Brock’s next two games come post-break with a double-header at home against the Royal Military College on Jan. 6th and 7th. For more information, check out gobadgers.ca.
