Weekend Recap: Gee-Gees split back-to-back matches with #8 Laval, earn first win

For the Gee-Gees women's volleyball team, it was only a matter of time before it all clicked. With two matches against U SPORTS eighth-ranked Laval on Saturday and Sunday, the Gee-Gees had a chance to prove themselves against a high-quality Rouge et Or team.

 Despite a dominant first set from the Gee-Gees on Saturday, Laval was able to secure a 3-1 victory. On Sunday, Gee-Gees came out hot, continued to battle, and were ultimately able to place a tally in the win column after a five-set match at Montpetit Hall.

 Starting strong has been something the Gee-Gees are familiar with this season, through nine matches, they have won the first set on five different occasions. However, the challenge for the team had been sustaining the same finishing success throughout the other sets.

 On Saturday, the Gee-Gees started the game with high energy and convincingly won the first set 25-18. In the second set, Ottawa battled back from an early deficit to get within a point of Laval at 16-15, before the Rouge et Or reeled off five straight points to put the set out of reach and take the set 25-17. The third set saw the teams trade blows after another early Laval lead, despite the Gee-Gees' efforts later in the set the Rouge et Or came out on top 25-20. The fourth set was the heartbreaker for the Gee-Gees, as the team established control early, and reclaimed it after Laval began pushing back, only to have a flurry of seven straight Laval points catapult them into control to secure the tight 25-23 set and take the match.

 "As a team, I know we're getting better every single time," said fifth-year captain Caroline LeMay after the first of the double-header. "Even though our record isn't great, we're making sure everyone is staying locked in. The entire team is willing to push, we have everything we need, we just need the last 10 per cent."

 On Sunday, the 10 per cent that the team was looking for was found in a gritty start-to-finish performance that resulted in the team's first regular season match win.

 In a thriller of a first set, the Gee-Gees dug in and fought through back-and-forth scoring, in a turn of fate, it was two Laval errors that handed the Gee-Gees the final two points of the 25-23 set. The second set was the Rouge et Or's most dominant taking it by a 25-18 tally. The third and fourth sets mirrored each other for each of the sides, the Gee-Gees tearing thougth the middle of the third to secure it 25-21, while Laval dominated early in the fourth to earn the 25-21 win. In the fifth and final set, a Laval error with the Gee-Gees holding an 11-10 advantage fully turned the tides, kills from Dana Bulloch, Emily Lenton, and a final kill from LeMay sealed the set 15-11, and the match for the Gee-Gees.

 "These kids are good, they just needed it to turn," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods, emphasising the team's athletic ability, but more specifically their no-quit demeanor. "It's the first completion of how hard we've been working, our kids have worked so hard and they've improved every week."

 "Everybody talks about staying with the process, but nobody has done it better than these guys. They have improved every week, and they improved from last night to today. We had the longest game plan meeting we've had all season this morning, they could've said 'screw that, I'm tired, we lost again', but they made every change and won the match, it's unbelievable."

 One player of note in the win was third-year middle Dana Bulloch, who set career highs in both kills (21) and points (28). On the defensive side, Bulloch has tallied 14 solo blocks this season, which places her third in the nation. The Aurora, ON native finished seventh in the nation in the category last season.

 "We were efficient, we were smart, and played with guts and character, which we've played with all year," said Woods. "When we put it all together, we can play with anybody. Does it turn it all around? I think it just gives them that sense of extra buy-in, but I have never seen a team at 0-8 so committed and bought-in and that's why it turned today."

 Up next, the Gee-Gees will take on the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Saturday afternoon in their final match before the exam break. Action at Montpetit Hall will get underway at 2 p.m. with tickets available at tickets.geegees.ca and the match streaming live at OUA.tv.

Boxscore (Saturday)

Boxscore (Sunday)