The Knights opened the 2016 OCAA Women's Championship with a 3-1 (17-21, 25-22, 26-24, 25-22) victory over the Trent Excalibur. 

Jasmine Thome (Kenora) earned player of the game honours for the Knights. Thome, playing in her final collegiate matches, led the way for the Knights with 11 kills and 2 stuffed blocks.

Niagara now advances to the semi-final where they will take on the Durham Lords on Friday evening at 6:00 pm. Durham, the east division's top seed in the regular season, defeated the Cambrian Golden Shield in the Championship's opening match. The Knights are now only one win away from appearing in the OCAA gold medal game, a spot they have not been since 2003 when they came away with a silver medal.

Friday's game will be streamed live at www.canadoretv.com.