The York University Lions women's volleyball team swept the No. 4 nationally ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees in straight sets in their season opener at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday (Oct. 18).
 
The Lions won 26-24 in each of the first two sets and 25-12 in the final set.
 
Both teams made good plays in the beginning of the first set. The Lions were aided by a series of mistakes by the opposition.
 
Spikes from Abby Ganzhorn (Markham, Ont.) gave the Lions an early lead. Middle blocker Michelle Pierce (Windsor, Ont.) made a vital block before the timeout as the Lions led 13-11.
 
Ottawa tied the score at 17-17 as the Lions committed a few mistakes. Eventually, the Gee-Gees turned a deficit into a lead.
 
The lead did not stand long, however, as the Lions caught up to equalize the score at 24-24. Pierce emerged as the hero again as she blocked a spike to score the set-winning point.
 
Tension in the second set rose as Ottawa dominated the early game, leading by a score of 5-1 before the first timeout. Sophie Chenail ended a long rally that kept both teams on their toes.
 
The Lions were able to equalize at 12-12 and take a 16-15 lead before the next timeout.
 
Ottawa seemed to have found its rhythm, overtaking the opposition with a lead of 22-19, and they eventually ran it to 24-22 and had a chance to take the set. However, the Lions were relentless, catching up and extending the set with another deuce at 24-24. Mistakes by the Gee-Gees proved critical as the final point of the set was from a block that went wide off the line.
 
The third set saw the Lions comfortably take the lead at 8-3 before the first timeout.
 
Blocks by setter Kirsten Dillon (Surrey, B.C.) and middle blocker Brittney Hopley (Thornhill, Ont.) proved crucial to the Lions' domination. Before the next timeout, the Lions lead the Gee-Gees 16-5.
 
Ottawa increased their pace and shortened the deficit at 10-19. However, the Gee-Gees suffered due to a lack of communication within the team and the Lions defeated them 25-12 in the final set.
 
Ganzhorn finished as the team's leader with 13 points, on 11 kills and two service aces and also added 11 digs, while Hopley was just behind her with 12.5 points on nine kills and 3.5 blocks.
 
Ottawa's leading scorer was Myriam English with 13 points on 10 kills, two service aces and one block, and she also had 12 kills.
 
The Lions will head out on the road next weekend for a pair of games, beginning with a game against the Waterloo Warriors in Waterloo, Ont., on Friday (Oct. 24) beginning at 6pm.

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Big win for the women's volleyball team today as they took down the CIS No. 4 Gee-Gees! ?? yorku lionpride yorklions volleyball hotstart MVPierce @volleyballcanada @ova_updates

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