The York University Lions women's volleyball team faced the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the second-half of their double-header at Montpetit Hall on Saturday evening. The Lions prevailed 3-2 in the first meeting last night and sought to get back to the .500 mark at 4-4 with a win in this one.
The Lions jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the match, paced by a Brooklyn Parliament kill and a pair of blocks from Amarai Endes and Meghan Kociancic. Kills from Parliament, Kociancic and Julia Typa propelled York's opening-set advantage to 10-2. With Ottawa attempting a rally, down six at 17-11, York went on a four-point run that included a kill from Quinn McTavish. Leading 22-14, York salted the set away with a kill and an ace from Typa, and an error from Ottawa's Camryn Giddens to give York the set 25-15 and a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Lions leaped out to a 5-2 lead in the second with the help of two Victoria Herrington kills. The Gee-Gees would command the set from there, however, going on separate runs of four, five and two of six consecutive scores to win the set 25-10 and tie the match 1-1.
Ottawa got out to a 5-2 lead of their own in the third, which would increase to a 14-10 lead. From there, the Lions would roar out to on a 7-0 run in which Endes and Herrington contributed two kills each. With the score tied at 20, York would score five of the set's final six points, clinching the set off a Kociancic ace. The 25-21 set victory gave York the match lead at 2-1.
York opened the fourth set with a 5-1 lead, but the set would go back-and-forth from there. Multiple runs from Ottawa brought the set to a 20-all deadlock, which the Gee-Gees would break by closing out on a 5-1 run to take the fourth set 25-21. That response sent the match to a fifth and deciding set for a second straight night between the two teams.
In an ultra-competitive fifth set, York sprung out to a 10-4 lead, with McTavish, Herrington and Endes notching kills. The Gee-Gees would battle back and score nine of the next twelve points to tie it up at 13-13. The Lions, however, would hold firm and shut the door on the Gee-Gees, with a Typa kill and a block from Endes off a Keely Lloyd attack scoring the final two points. The 15-13 set win gave the Lions a 3-2 match victory, as they sweep the weekend with two impressive five-set wins.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions head home to host the Queen's Gaels on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23. First serves fly at 6:00 pm for Friday's match and 4:00 pm on Saturday.
