Seeking their fourth win in as many matches, the Niagara Knights women's volleyball program (9-2, 2nd OCAA West) earned a 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-17, 25-16) victory over the St. Clair Saints (6-5, 5th OCAA West) on Sunday afternoon.
The Knights got off to a slow start and dropped the first set before taking over the match. They would shake off the bus legs and settle into a rhythm after the first set, winning each of the next three on their way to the victory. It was an overall team effort for the Knights, as they were forced into some last minute lineup changes due to illness.
The most noticeable lineup change for the Knights was the insertion of Samantha Bailey (Cambridge) into the power position. "She was the most consistent player in the match, coming up with key hits every time St. Clair tried to make a run," said Knights head coach Ray Sarkis. Additionally, Linnea Davis (Brampton) shifted to middle and was tremendous, notching four timely kills and four blocks in the match.
Alongside Bailey and Davis, the Knights were powered offensively by Rachel Rivers (Cambridge) with 16 points and Jordan Koslowski (Hamilton) with 13. Bailey Davis (Georgetown) kept the St. Clair defence off kilter all afternoon with solid ball distribution, tying her season-high in the match with 36 kill assists. On the defensive side of the ball Kennisis VanSoelen (Orangeville) was outstanding, digging up 13 kills attempts. Rivers and Koslowski also added double digit digs in the victory.
Niagara will return to the court on Wednesday evening against the undefeated Humber Hawks (10-0, 1st OCAA West). The match is scheduled for 6:00 pm at the Welland Campus Athletic Centre. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5.00, while students and those under the age of 17 are admitted free. For those unable to be in attendance, all Knights home games are live streamed through www.goknights.ca/watchlive.
