The Windsor Lancer women's volleyball team kicked off their season at the Toldo Lancer Centre on Friday night with a 3-0 (25-19, 27-25, and 25-21) win over the TMU Bold and quickly followed up with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, and 25-17) home win on Saturday afternoon over the visitors from Toronto.
WEEKEND STATS
Aliah Admans led the way offensively for the Lancers in both of this weekend's outings recording a game-high of 14 kills on Friday night followed by adding another 19 kills on Saturday in the rematch affair against the Bold.
Raiya Millin had a great weekend on offense as well for the blue and gold with her 9 kills on Friday and 12 more on Saturday.
Aryn Markett had a terrific offensive performance as well on Friday posting 11 kills of her own and 2 service aces. Markett also tallied 2 more service aces on Saturday.
Millin led the way defensively on Friday digging up 13 balls while Markett dug up 19 digs on Saturday for a game-high and tying a weekend-high in the digs category.
Windsor's setter
Danika Scharff generated 40 assists in each contest kicking off the season with 80 total out of her hands to date in the Lancers pair of wins over TMU.
GAME FLOW
On Friday the teams met each other for the first time this season and did battle back and forth in the early stages of the opening set. With points being traded back and forth between the two schools that share colour schemes, neither side could break open a large gap until the Lancers went on a run and open up a six-point advantage to begin taking firm control of the first set going on to close out 25-20 and take a 1-0 match lead.
The second set started off in favour of the home side before the visitors began to pick up some points to create some momentum. The Lancers then battled the Bold throughout the midway mark of the set and found a way to keep it within a close distance of one another exchanging one and two-point runs.
In the end the second set came down to a win-by-two scenario once stalemated at 23-23 which then became ultimately a 27-25 second set victory for the Lancers to go up 2-0 in the match.
The third set on Friday saw another almost equal start between the teams before the Lancers started generating offense to gain control. After a 10-10 tie earlier in the set, the Lancers never trailed after that cruising to a 25-21 third set win and 3-0 match victory.
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Lancers and Bold started off on levelled ground again throughout the duration of the early stages and midway point of the set before the Lancers were able to overturn a Bold lead at 16-14 and make a gap wide enough for them to close out 25-20 to take a 1-0 set advantage in the match.
The second set looked nearly identical with points accumulated at the same pace and leads swapped just as fast before the Lancers were able to finish down the stretch with the same number of points totalled and surrendered making it a 2-0 match lead with a second set win of 25-20.
The Bold would finally respond in the third set despite the Lancers holding the edge throughout most of the set. Just when fans at the TLC were gearing up for a second consecutive 3-0 sweep the Bold stormed back late in the set to trigger and additional set of volleyball with a 25-23 overturned lead to make it a 2-1 match advantage for Windsor.
The Lancers would battle back and ensure they did not play fifth set of volleyball with their consistent play down the stretch that allowed them to finish the match with four sets of volleyball and earn a second straight home victory in front of a high energy crowd on hand at the TLC closing out with a 25-17 win in the fourth.
With the win on Saturday the Lancers now sit at 2-0 on the young season with the back-to-back wins earned over the Bold at home.
UP NEXT
The Lancers will be back in action at home this week when they host the well-travelled Lakehead Thunderwolves from Thunder Bay who will be in town to visit on Friday November 1st at 6:00pm and Saturday November 2nd at 1:00pm at the TLC.
Volleyball fans can buy tickets in advance
here or at the TLC box office on game day for admission into the matches. Fans can also tune into OUA.Tv to watch the action live streaming from anywhere outside the gym.
