The Niagara College women's volleyball (1-0, 1st West) program did not disappoint the sold out crowd at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre Thursday night, defeating the Fanshawe Falcons (0-1, 4th West) during the first annual Blue & White home opener.
After starting out slow and losing the first set 15-25, the Knights rallied from behind to win three straight 25-16, 25-17, and 25-12.
"I knew we were going to either lose big or win big," said fifth-year head coach Joey Martins. "Playing in front of a packed house like this tonight would bring out the butterflies in anyone."
Playing in her first game as a Knight, outside hitter Rachel Rivers (Cambridge) led the team in scoring. The six-foot-one computer programming analyst had nine points and 11 digs. Her seven kills were a team-high.
"Rachel was solid tonight," added coach Martins. "She is going to be a force for us all season long and I'm happy that she is a part of our program."
Second-year setter Bailey Davis looked to be in mid-season form in this game as her passes we crisp and precise all night long. A member of the OCAA all-rookie team last season, Davis had a game-high 16 assists to go along with four service aces.
"Is it surprising that we are talking about Bailey?" asked coach Martins. "She is as fundamentally sound as they come and we can always count on her."
On the defensive side of the ball, first-year libero Shayna Graham (Sudbury) was outstanding, finishing the match with a game-high 15 digs.
"She was really aggressive tonight and she stuck to the game plan," Martins said about Graham. "She played smart and was always in position, hard to tell it was her first OCAA game to be honest with you."
From 2008-2014, the Knights could not buy a win against the Falcons. In those six years, Niagara lost twelve straight matches against Fanshawe. However, with Joey Martins at the helm, the Knights have now won three straight matches and now the all-time record between these two programs sits at 8-17 in favour of Fanshawe.
These two teams won't play again until the New Year, when Niagara heads to Fanshawe on January 23rd, 2016.
Up next for the Knights will be another home game against the St. Clair Saints (0-0, 5th West) on Sunday, October 25th.
