WEEKEND RECAP: Gee-Gees fall to Martlets, Citadins in a thriller

The Gee-Gees women's volleyball team began their two-game weekend with a trip to Montreal to face off against the McGill Martlets. 

The Martlets were precise in securing a 3-0 win, taking the first two sets by seven-point margins. Both sets started out on an even keel, with the two squads going point for point. However, the side out game of McGill became too effective and efficient, allowing the home team to go on big scoring runs. The third saw near domination by the Martlets, being up 20-12 at one point; Ottawa made a 9-4 run, but McGill ended the game 25-21. 

As for the second and final game of the weekend for the Gee-Gees, the Ottawa squad returned home to battle against the UQAM Citadins. The Citadins entered the match winning two of their last three games and placed second in the RSEQ standings.

The Sunday afternoon match was a thriller, as it was pushed to five sets. UQAM took the first set in deciding fashion 25-17, bolstered by their seven service aces. The script was flipped however in the second frame, with the Gee-Gees winning by six; Denae Bristow played a big role in the second set win, registering five of her eventual twelve kills in the match. The third set was runaway with by the visiting team, mainly due to hitting an outstanding game-high .310 in the frame. The fourth set of action saw a reversal score of the third set, with Ottawa winning 25-20.

The fifth and final set, a point where the Gee-Gees had yet to reach against the Citadins so far this season, was won by a late UQAM run. Ottawa led early in the last frame, 7-4, but the service specialist Gabrielle Morissette powered a 11-4 run for the visiting team to take the set. 

"We know we're good enough to compete, and we're trying to figure out ways to win. We've been competing all year, and we're happy with ourselves, but we're trying to move the expectations to win those," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods. 

Ottawa's next game is set for Saturday against the 9-4 Montreal Carabins at Montpetit Hall. The Gee-Gees won the last matchup between the two teams in five sets. Tickets are available at tickets.geegees.ca