The York University Lions women's volleyball team travelled to the nation's capital to take on the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night in the first of a two-game weekend series.
The Lions and Gee-Gees were playing their first matches against each other since 2016, as Ottawa opened its home schedule in its return to the OUA after spending the last eight years in the RSEQ.
The teams played a tight opening set, at least in the early stages. The set was tied eight separate times, eventually reaching a 13-13 deadlock. However, the home side took over from there, finishing the first on a 12-4 run, capped off by a service error from Brooklyn Parlaiment, as the Gee-Gees took the opening set 25-17 to go up 1-0.
The Lions looked like a different team in the second, particularly at the net. York's first two points came off blocks, with rookie Quinn McTavish factoring in both plays. The Lions grabbed a 14-13 lead on a Julia Typa kill, an advantage they would never relinquish. York led by as many as seven in the set, 22-15. Ottawa rallied to cut the Lion lead to two at 24-22, but the visitors held on thanks to another Typa kill to win the second set 25-22 and tie the match 1-1.
The Lions carried that second-set momentum over to the third, taking an early 6-2 lead. They eventually led 18-11, with their blocking game continuing to carry them through the middle part of the frame. However, after that point to give York a seven-point lead, Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods called a timeout that would sway the set into his team's favour. They scored nine consecutive points out of the timeout, and completely neutralized the Lions blocking attack. York fought to stay in the set, but eventually fell 25-22, bringing the home side to within a set of victory.
You wouldn't know the Lions surrendered a seven-point lead in the third had you tuned in early in the fourth, as York scored nine of the first 10 points in the fourth set, taking a nine-point lead. The Gee-Gees tried to summon similar magic to the third by calling timeout down 17-6. However, unlike the previous set, the Lions maintained momentum out of the Ottawa timeout despite surrendering three straight points in its immediate aftermath. York took the third set 25-11 to stave off defeat and send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
The Lions continued their dominant play in the fifth, going up 5-2 early in the set and took an 8-4 lead to the mid-set break. The Lions eventually led 14-7, and on set point, a great Jessica Reynolds kill set up Victoria Herrington, whose attack went off the hands of Nicole Hilldebrand and wide for the match-winning kill, as the Lions complete the comeback to end a four-match losing streak.
LOOKING AHEAD:
These two teams will reacquaint Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm as the Lions look to get back to the .500 mark.
