The Niagara Knights women's volleyball program will be returning to Welland with one of their best ever finishes at the OCAA Championships. The Knights were defeated 3-0 (25-9, 25-22, 25-18) by the Humber Hawks on Saturday afternoon in the gold medal match and finish the season with an OCAA silver medal for the second time in program history. The result improves upon the bronze medal that the Knights won a year ago.
Niagara got off to a slow start against the eight-time defending champion Hawks, dropping the first set 25-9. The Knights were routinely met with a triple block up in the middle in the early stages of the match, which allowed Humber to take an early lead and ultimately the set victory. However, Niagara battled back in the second set, trading points with Humber until the end but falling just short losing 25-22. Ultimately it was not meant to be for the Knights as they were trumped 25-18 in the third and deciding set.
Jordan Koslowski (Hamilton), an OCAA All-Rookie, won player of the game honours for the Knights. Koslowski was also named to the OCAA Championship All-Star team for her efforts throughout the weekend.
Head Coach Ray Sarkis was extremely pleased with the heart that was exhibited by his team throughout the year. "We had our fair share of battles with injuries and faced some adversity in the second half of the season," said Sarkis of his team, "But I was very proud with the way our team pulled together to finish the regular season and into the championship."
Rachel Rivers (Cambridge) exemplified the team's never give up attitude, battling through a fractured ankle for the better part of the season's second half and the OCAA Championship. Jasmine Thome, a fifth year Exercise Science for Health and Performance student, was exceptional throughout the weekend. Her experience and leadership proved valuable for the Knights, willing them to victory through the first two days of the event.
As the season wraps up, the Niagara College Athletics and Recreation department is extremely proud of the resolve demonstrated by the program throughout the season.
