No. 15 Women's Volleyball Wins OCAA Silver Medal

Courtesy: Canadore Athletics

SUDBURY -- The Battle of the Birds: Falcons vs. Hawks. This highly anticipated final match-up of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women's Volleyball Championship featured the West Division's No. 1-ranked Fanshawe Falcons versus the No. 2-ranked Humber Hawks. "Firing on all cylinders" may be an understatement at the mid-way through the first set and setters Ashley Rafferty (Fanshawe) and Alex Bartmann (Humber) were getting everyone involved. These two teams are so deep that running these offences must be a sincere treat for these two talented setters.

Alex Lachapelle for Humber made several huge digs for her team, and Fanshawe All-Canadian Janelle Albert was all over the court on the defensive end getting touches on seemingly everything. Haley Henderson shone through late with several effective swings for the Hawks from the outside. Albert responded with an absolute deafening smash from the backcourt leaving the ball to be retrieved from the bleachers at the back of the gymnasium by the wonderful volunteers from the North Bay Youth Volleyball Club Lakers. Timeout Humber, down 22-18, the Falcons momentum would prove to be uninterrupted as Fanshawe secures a first set victory 25-18.

Lachapelle's supreme defence was on display once again in the second set as she made some important digs early on, and Bartmannn connected with Alex Krstonosic for a kill in the middle. Haley Henderson for the Hawks followed up with a massive solo block in the middle, and then Shiann Williams closed well with Bartmann to connect for another block. The Hawks fans were on their feet.

Albert followed up with a line shot to spark the Falcon fans, and they are knotted at eight. After Williams and Bartmann connected for another block on the outside, Rafferty for Fanshawe executed a beautiful setter's dump to side-out for her team. The Hawks refused to go away though as Henderson built a roof over Albert for a timeout-inducing block, called by Fanshawe down 10-14. After a Fanshawe side out the next point, the Hawks went on another run to force another Falcons timeout down 11-16. Megan Hunt could not be contained by the Falcons in this set, as she delivered another kill for the blue-and-gold. Humber evened this match by taking the set handily, 25-18.

To the third set we go! After both sides falter at the service line, the game cleaned up with perhaps the most exciting series of points that Fanshawe had provided in this championship. Albert, with a heavy pipe hit for a kill, followed by an incredible defensive performance where she registered a dig on a hit that had no business being dug. Down 12-7, the Hawks called a timeout. The Falcons continued to control this set as they doubled up on the Hawks 18-9. Cassidy Andrews came onto the court for the Hawks and sparked a mini-run for her team with an electric strike from the right side. The spark was a little too late as the Falcons took this set 25-18, and now up 2-1 in the match.

Andrews for the Hawks sparked her team again early in the fourth set with another huge kill. Lachapelle continued the positive run for the Hawks with some great digs and mixed in a beautiful assist for good measure. A timeout was then called by Fanshawe as the Hawks lead 8-5. Megan Hunt went to work for Humber registering points for her squad, but the Falcons would not go away. Albert registered three well-placed roll shots in back-to-back-to-back rallies to score for her team and kept them in this game down only by one at a set score of 13-14. The Hawks proceeded to go on another run in this one and quickly found themselves up again 18-14. Albert responded with a block out of a Falcon timeout, but Andrews came back with another timely kill from the outside to score for her Hawks.  The Falcons came soaring back, but still down by one at 24-23. Kim Hardy and Katie Stewart combined for the block of the match, and Albert got a kill on the next rally, as 25-24 was the score in favour of Fanshawe as Humber surrendered the lead. After Humber sides out a marathon rally, it is now tied at 25-25. Albert came back with a powerful kill from the right side to put her team up by a point. Stewart then delivered the finishing blow for the Falcons on a great set by Rafferty, 26-24. WOW-what a match!

Congratulations to both Humber and Fanshawe on an amazing championship and gold medal final performance. Fans that made their way to North Bay received an absolute treat in witnessing this match in person.

A big thank you to everyone involved in making this Championship possible!

Championship MVP
Janelle Albert (Fanshawe)

Championship All-Stars
Althea Boncheff (Durham)
Kimberly Quintanilla (St. Clair)
Alex Bartmann (Humber)
Shiann Williams (Humber)
Mattea Deleary (Fanshawe)
Kiana Lee (Fanshawe)