"We played well but they had a very strong gameplan and executed well. Defensively, they took us out of our system in the first match and it took us too long to recover. Ultimately, this one is in the books and we are still in a good place to make a run through the playoffs," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods.
Lakehead battled past the Gee-Gees in the first set thanks to quality team service and solid play by Vanessa Chorkawy on the attack. Lakehead jumped out to a 16-7 lead, catching the Gee-Gees flatfooted on the blocks. However, a run of attacks by third-year left side hitter Karina Krueger Schwanke and sparkling defence in the back row allowed Ottawa to come back and tie the game at 18-18. That's when Chorkawy took over and Jasmine Fox delivered two straight aces to win the first set 25-19.
The second set played out in a similarly streaky fashion. Lakehead led to open the set but a mini-run by the Gee-Gees with fifth-year middle Kathryn Weihrer serving gave them the lead at 9-8. Lakehead then went on an 8-3 run to hold a 16-12 lead at the technical timeout. Smart play from Gee-Gees brought them back to 19-18 until Chorkowy landed another kill at 20-18. The teams then exchanged points until Ottawa's final two attacks failed, giving Lakehead the 25-23 set win and control of the match.
The Thunderwolves, sensing an upset, continued their excellent play to open an 8-4 lead in the third set. However, with veterans Alix Durivage and Myriam English blocking well, the Gee-Gees managed to fight back and tie the score at 14-14. The Thunderwolves showed impressive resolve, getting a huge block while re-establishing a five point lead in response. With the score 21-16 in favour of the home T-wolves, the upset loomed, but strong play from the English twins led to a tied set at 24-24. Myriam English eventually finished the set off with kills from the right side with a 27-25 win for the Gee-Gees.
The Gee-Gees carried their strong play into the fourth set and seemed in control with a 16-10 lead at the technical timeout. Lakehead's Jorie Daymond came right back with two kills, but Ottawa maintained the lead at the 19-14 mark. That's when Ottawa lost their edge at the net, allowing the T-wolves to go on a 5-0 run and tie the game at 19-19. Lakehead then made two key blocks on Schwanke to take a 23-20 lead and eventually pull out the 25-23 win.
The Thunderwolves' momentum carried into the second match of the double-header as Lakehead squeaked out a 26-24 victory in the first set. The Thunderwolves racked up an impressive 17 kills in the first set alone. Despite the initial setback, the Gee-Gees persevered and came back to win their next two sets, 25-20 and 25-17. Fourth-year setter Christina Grail excelled near the net as she executed numerous crisp sets for the Gee-Gees' talented hitters.
Led by Schwanke and Myriam English on offence, the Gee-Gees managed to salvage a weekend split by winning the fourth set 25-18. Ottawa jumped out to a 16-11 lead by the technical timeout, but allowed the Thunderwolves to even up the score at 18-18, as Chorkowy continued her stellar play. However, the Gee-Gees ended the match on a 7-0 run, buoyed by several Lakehead errors, and won the fourth set 25-18. Schwanke scored 24 kills in the match to lead all players.
"Christina Grail stayed strong throughout the long day and made the plays when we needed them," said Woods about his veteran setter. Grail finished with a combined 77 assists in the two games.
Stay tuned on geegees.ca for information regarding the Gee-Gees women's volleyball playoff tickets for Feb. 16.
BOX SCORE
Match 1
1 2 3 4
Ottawa 19 23 27 23
Lakehead 25 25 25 25
Gee-Gees top players: Kelsie English 18 points, 10 digs, Christina
Grail 43 assists, 3 digs
Lakehead top players: Jorie Daymond 24 points, 13 digs, Vanessa
Chorkawy 18 points, 8 digs
Match 2
1 2 3 4
Ottawa 24 25 25 25
Lakehead 26 20 17 18
Gee-Gees top players: Karina Krueger Schwanke 24 kills, 8 digs, Myriam
English 15 points, 5 digs
Lakehead top players: Jorie Daymond 13 kills, 13 digs, Sara Hudson 32
assists, 7 digs
Lakehead