Hosting Western (9-9 OUA) Saturday, February 16, 2:00 p.m. (SSN Canada)
After wrapping up one of the most successful regular seasons in team history, the Gee-Gees women's volleyball team will now play host to the Western Mustangs on Saturday in an OUA quarterfinals matchup. Ottawa finished second in the OUA with a 16-2 record and have spent 14 consecutive weeks in CIS Top 10, currently ranked seventh in the country. The Gee-Gees have a 7-1 record against other top 10 teams this season, with the lone setback being a 3-2 loss to the fourth-ranked York Lions. Ottawa has already beaten Western twice this season, racking up 3-0 and 3-1 victories, including a win at Montpetit Hall on November 18.
"We only have one week left in our season, and the only way to earn another week of play is to win our next match. That's our attitude right now as we head into the playoffs," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods.
The Western Mustangs come into the game having lost four of their past five games, with the lone victory coming against the 4-14 Waterloo Warriors. They are a solid defensive team, as the Mustangs are ranked ninth in the CIS in digs per set and 10th in the CIS in total blocks per set. Western's top player is senior left-side hitter Rebecca Oxland, who is averaging 4.1 points, 2.6 digs, and 0.6 blocks per set. The Mustangs have been OUA champions as recently as the 2010-11 season.
"The two matches we've played against them, they've caused us some grief in terms of what they did. It's not like we blew them out when you look at the point spreads," explained Woods. "We're going to focus on a gameplan that is 90 per cent about us, and 10 per cent on understanding the other team."
Ottawa is the top-ranked blocking team in the nation, led by third-year right side hitter Kelsie English (1.2 blocks per set) and sophomore middle Alix Durivage (1.1 blocks per set). The Gee-Gees are also third in the CIS in points scored per set, thanks to a strong core of offensive players which include third-year left side hitter Karina Krueger Schwanke-Schwanke is third in the CIS with 4.6 points per set. With veterans Christina Grail, Myriam English, Kathryn Weihrer, and Stephanie Theiler rounding out a talented starting line-up, the Gee-Gees will look to advance to the OUA Final Four for the third straight season by defeating the Western Mustangs. The OUA Final Four will be held from Feb. 22 to 23, with the location to be determined after this week's playoff matches.
"We've done the heavy lifting all year, starting with the off-season and the preseason, to have a chance to host this game. We've accomplished a lot of things this season, and in the end, things are right where we thought they could be at the beginning of the year. There are now eight teams left-soon to be four-and hopefully, we'll be one of those four teams at the end of the match," said Woods.
Advance tickets for this exciting playoff match are available through www.capitaltickets.ca or by emailing ggtix@uottawa.ca. Tickets are just $6 for uOttawa students and $8 for adults.
