November 17, 2024
WINDSOR, ON: The Niagara Knights women's volleyball team (5-3) took a weekend road trip to take on the St. Clair Saints (7-0) in an afternoon matchup. Even though the Knights battled hard and put forth a great effort, they suffered a 3-1 defeat (set scores were 20-25, 23-25, 25-21 and 22-25).
The Knights started off the game trading points back and forth with the Saints. As the first set went on, the Saints were able to pull away to take the 1st set victory – as was the case in the 2nd set as well. In the 3rd set, the Knights came out firing and refused to back down, which inevitably became a key 3rd set victory for the Knights. The 4th set had everything a fan could ask for – service aces, key blocks, diving saves and fantastic point battles – which had the Knights in the lead for most of the set. In the end, the Saints marched back to eventually take the set, and the game, win. Sam Cormier led the charge for the Knights contributing 18 points on 15 kills, 3 blocks, 1 assist and 1 dig – earning her Player of the Game status for the Knights. The dynamic duo of Abbey Gooder and Natalie Little, showcased their offensive prowess by providing a combined 30 points on 23 kills, 13 digs, 4 service aces, 3 blocks and 3 assists.
"The ladies battled hard the entire way through and weren't able to seize the opportunity to push (the game) to a fifth set" said Steve Stone, head coach of the Knights, when asked to comment on the outcome. He continued to say that "we (the women's team) came out slow but really got settled in and were able to push back – we've got to be more detailed in our execution and awareness. If we do that, those tight games turn into wins for us."
The Knights get the week off to rest and prepare for their weekend tilt against the visiting Cambrian Golden Shield (2-4) and Boreal Vipers (0-6). The Knights will take to the court on Saturday, November 23rd at 1pm to face off against the Golden Shield before doing it all over again the next day against the Vipers at noon. Come out to cheer on your Knights to victory at the Simplii Financial Athletic Centre at the Welland Campus. If you are unable to watch the match in person, catch all the action live on the Niagara Knights YouTube channel.
