Queen’s Volleyball gears up for the second half of their season

Do the Gaels have a chance at gold this season?

Image by: Curtis Heinzl
The men’s and women’s teams are currently placed in the middle of the OUA standings.

After some exhibition games and invitational tournaments prior to the official OUA season, both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams recorded valuable wins before the break.

However, it hasn’t been an easy season for the Gaels. The women’s and men’s teams sit near the middle of the OUA standings at seventh and ninth, respectively.

With about half a season to go, there’s still an opportunity for these teams to climb higher. Here’s a recap of their success over the break and a look at the games ahead.

Women’s Volleyball

The women’s volleyball team started their season with a pre-season showcase in Langley, B.C. Although they faced tough competition with little success, it gave them a chance to prepare for the OUA season.

From there, the Gaels started the regular season with a bang: four straight wins. They secured a double-header against both U of T and RMC in November. Their streak ended to TMU on Nov. 25, but the Gaels recovered the next day by bringing the TMU Bold down on home court.

In December, Queen’s faced McMaster for the first time for another double-header and lost both games. However, both games went to the fifth set, highlighting some evenly matched competition.

After their losses to the Marauders, the Gaels took a month-long break from games.

Historically, this break has the potential to completely change the season. How a team immediately bounces back from such a long rest can be indicative of their potential.

The Gaels have only played two games since returning—what comes next is anyone’s guess.

Queen’s played a double-header at York last weekend and lost their first matchup, fighting hard in all five sets to keep the scores close. However, the next day, they turned their three-game losing streak around by crushing York in three sets.

Right now, their overall record is 6-4.

Men’s Volleyball

In a similar fashion, the men’s team had many pre-season chances to compete on the court as they too attended invitational tournaments and exhibition games.

However, their season hasn’t fared as well as the women’s. The men’s team lost four of their seven games before the break.

Last weekend, they also played the York Lions in a double-header and lost both matches. Although the individual sets were consistently close, the Lions delivered a clean sweep by winning three straight sets on both Friday and Saturday.

Given the challenges of a month-long break, it’s no surprise the Gaels didn’t completely bounce back. However, if they hope to try for gold, they will need a new approach.

This weekend they will play the third ranked Windsor Lancers, but after that they will have some good chances to improve their record.

In two weeks, Queen’s will play RMC, the team they swept with three straight sets in November. After that game they will match-up with Nipissing for the first time this season—they haven’t lost to them since the pandemic started. Perhaps an easy win against the Paladins will give the Gaels the confidence they need to keep their win streak alive.

The men’s team will play their next seven games at home, so students can head over to the ARC to watch their Gaels bounce back.

Tags

new year, OUA, Season Recap, USPORTS, Volleyball

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