This weekend, the Niagara Knights women's volleyball team hosted a pair of OCAA opponents as part of a busy weekend of varsity sport at Niagara College. The Knights hosted the Nippising Lakers on Saturday, November 3rd, and the Canadore Panthers on Sunday November 4th. The Knights were defeated 3-0 by a strong Lakers team, but rallied to defeat the Panthers in straight sets on Sunday.
Knights Head Coach Joey Martins felt his side had an "up and down weekend." One standout for the Knights against Nipissing was 5-foot-8 outside hitter Amber Lundy. The first year Early Childhood Education student from Welland, Ontario had a strong game recording 11 digs, 4 kills, and one block.
"Saturday was a tough game for us, but it was important to forget about the loss and move forward," added Martins. Sunday's 12:00pm first serve was less than 24 hours after the previous night's defeat to the Lakers.
The key to victory on Sunday for the Knights was "a great team effort, where everyone got involved" felt Martins. Led by the strong play-calling of first year setter Madeline Busby, the Knights attack proved too much for the young Canadore Panthers. 5-foot-8 outside hitter Kayde Bailey was the focal point of the Knights' offense. The Welland native and first year Sport Management student had 12 kills and 13 digs in the victory.
Martins added that he felt the victory "was important to rebuild the team's confidence moving forward."
The Knights next game is set for Thursday, November 8th as the team travels to Sheridan. The Knights' next home game is scheduled for Saturday, November 10th at 2:00pm, as the Conestoga Condors visit the Welland Campus athletic centre. All Niagara College varsity sporting events are free admission.
