Recap: Gee-Gees fall 3-0 to Vert et Or in first semester finale

In match that had implications on two teams fighting to stay in the RSEQ playoff race, the Gee-Gees women's volleyball team welcomed the Sherbrooke Vert et Or to Montpetit Hall on Saturday afternoon.

Coming from their first regular season win on the season, the Gee-Gees hoped to continue trending in the right direction in the final match of the first semester of play. In the end, an inspired Sherbrooke team earned a 3-0 victory to keep a leg up on the Gee-Gees in the hunt for the playoffs.

A marathon first set saw the teams battle back and forth racking up a total of 58 points, with the Vert et Or coming out on top 30-28. The Gee-Gees attack looked strong, but the team was unable to establish any control due to Sherbrooke's solid defensive play.

A competitive first half to the second set had the teams knotted at 9-9, before the visitors stole momentum and never looked back. Sherbrooke ultimately put away the second set 25-19 despite a late push led by third-year left and right side Niève Séguin.

The final set of the match was the most disappointing for the Gee-Gees as they fell behind handily, surrendering eight consecutive points to fall behind 10-2. Sherbrooke's quick start was enough to stifle any hope of a Gee-Gee comeback as they powered to a 25-12 win in the set and match.

"For a set and a half, it was exactly the same as it's been for 10 weeks, we were toe-to-toe," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods. "We just found some ways to hurt ourselves, we've been working on aggressive serving without missing, but in those first two sets we missed way too many serves."

Heading into an extended break where the team is out of match play for over a month, the team can learn greatly from their final two matches.

"We've found our measuring stick," said Woods. "Last Sunday is where we need to be, the second half of this match is where can't be, and the way we played the first set is the way we have to play the whole match."

Fourth-year left and right side Kara Hayes led the Gee-Gees with 10 points on nine kills, Hayes also tallied 18 digs in the match.

The Gee-Gees will take to the court on the road for the first two weekends of the new year, first in Montreal to take on McGill on Jan. 11, followed by a rematch with the Vert et Or in Sherbooke on Jan. 19. The team will return home to Montpetit Hall for a rare Thursday night match against UQAM on Jan. 24.