The women’s volleyball team ended their OUA regular season with two huge wins against the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay this past weekend.
The four-set and three-set victories clinched them fourth place in the East, vaulting them into the quarter-finals tonight against the top-seeded University of Toronto Varsity Blues.
On Saturday afternoon, the Gaels started out strong, winning the first two sets 25-14 and 25-22, but Lakehead roared back in the third set, winning 25-18.
The Thunderwolves kept up the pressure in the fourth set, but the Gaels came out with a close 26-24 victory to seal the win.
Second-year left-side hitter Louise Hamill and rookie left side Lorna Button led the Gaels’ offence, recording 13 and 10 kills respectively. Second year left side Annika Green had 23 assists.
Lakehead’s Ashley Baer and Kalea Mullett both recorded 12 kills to lead the Thunderwolves.
On Sunday afternoon, Queen’s continued their strong play, defeating Lakehead in three straight sets, taking the third with a 25-15 victory.
Rookie middle hitter Colleen Ogilvie led the Gaels in offence, recording 10 kills while Hamill followed with 7 of her own.
Mullett led Lakehead again with 10 kills.
Queen’s head coach Joely Christian said Hamill—last year’s OUA East rookie of the year—was the team’s best player.
“She played her best match of the year,” Christian said.
The Blues are ranked first in the OUA East and are coming off their 10th consecutive win of the season. While there’s added pressure when playing in the playoffs, especially against a top ranked team, Christian and Hamill said they will prepare for the game like any other.
“It’s important to treat it as just another game,” Hamill said.
Queen’s has played the Blues twice this season, losing in four sets and three sets, respectively.
Christian said one of the key elements to beating the Blues is looking for ways to attack their defence, adding that the team can’t get ahead of itself.
“Often we struggle with the execution of our game plan,” she said. “We need to carry out our game plan not just until we are leading, but until the match is over.”
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