The Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team broke out of Burridge Gym in Hamilton with a 3-0 win over the McMaster Marauders for the Ontario University Athletics’ championship, assuring themselves a spot in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships.
The Blues built their lead in the first set, emerging from the first time out with an 8-7 edge, which quickly became 12-9. Their biggest lead was 16-11, but McMaster clawed to within four before U of T surged to a 25-20 final score.
The match’s second set was by far the tightest of the three, despite U of T jumping out to a commanding 6-0 lead to kick things off. McMaster cut the lead to three, and then finally pulled even at 8-8. A brief Blues’ lead disappeared into a 19-19 tie, before McMaster took its first lead of the game.
But the Blues fought back, mustering another two-point advantage before McMaster drew even at 23-23 to set the stage for a tantalizing end to the set. U of T, however, ensured the set would go on no longer than necessary as they grabbed each of the next two points to prevail 25-23.
McMaster’s best chance to win a set seemed to come in the third when they pulled ahead to 2-0 and 8-6 leads, but U of T wouldn’t go away and fought to a 17-17 score. Karlee Diesing led a late-game Blues’ surge, as she collected half of the team’s final eight points for a 25-19 win and the match.
Alongside Diesing’s 16 total points, Heather Bansing pitched in with 12 to pace the Blues’ attack. The team went on to finish in sixth place at the CIS championship at the University of Alberta.
