The York University Lions women's volleyball team was defeated 3-1 by the Queen's Gaels on Saturday (Nov. 29) at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
The Gaels won the first two sets by a score of 25-18 and 27-25, respectively. The Lions pulled one back with a score of 25-19. However, the Gaels were able to seal their win in the fourth set with a tight match at 26-24.
 
Panic in the Gaels' defence and mistakes by the Lions made the contest tight for both teams in the first set.
 
Gaels' Katie Hagarty executed spikes that troubled the Lions. However, the Lions were able to equalize at 8-8 with a Brittney Hopley (Thornhill, Ont.) service ace.
 
The Lions defended well with their blocks but the deflection went out of bounds. Michelle Pierce (Windsor, Ont.) was excellent in front of the net with her kills. Pierce ended the game with a total of 19 kills and 22 points.
 
After the timeout, the Gaels tested the Lions' defence. The Gaels trailed from 15-16 to leading at 19-16, and carried that advantage through to the end of the set.
 
Hopley continued her run of form in the second set. The Lions improved their play with good calls and crucial digs. Kirsten Dillon (Surrey, B.C.) set up Pierce for a stunning strike to give the Lions a lead at 16-14. However, miscommunications cost the Lions the set as the Gaels caught up. The set remained tight as the game deuced twice before the Gaels emerged as the winners.
 
During the third set, Dillon made an impressive defensive effort as the player dove to the ground and made a save.
 
Pierce remained solid throughout the set as the Lions caught up at 13-13.
 
The Lions made a comeback from behind at 17-14. Attacking errors by the Gaels gave Lions a 21-14 advantage. Veneta Mincheva (Gatineau, Que.) made the set-winning kill.
 
The fourth set was another tight matchup between the two teams. The scoreline margin proved the quality of both teams. After a deuce at the final match point, errors committed by the Lions saw the home team defeated by the Gaels.
 
Hopley led all players with 25.5 points on 21 kills, 3.5 blocks and one service ace. Hagarty was the top scorer for Queen's with 18 points on 16 kills and two service aces, and she also contributed 20 digs.
 
The Lions will face the RMC Paladins on Sunday (Nov. 30) at Tait McKenzie Centre beginning at 2pm.