OSHAWA, Ont – Something had to give on Sunday afternoon as the No. 14 ranked Durham Lords women's volleyball team defeated the Canadore Panthers in a highly-anticipated clash of undefeated teams, dropping the east region challengers 3-1 at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre.
Right from the beginning the Panthers put Durham on their heels and the Lords found themselves in the unfamiliar spot of playing from behind. Rebounding, the Lords escaped with a tightly contested first set win and then, settling into their game, comfortably won the second, 25-13.
For the first time in eight games, however, Durham was unable to complete the sweep, dropping a tight third set, 25-22 to the Panthers.
If there was any question of how the Lords would respond to adversity, they answered in the fourth set by quickly establishing a nine-point cushion from which the Panthers could never recover. Winning the set 25-17, the Lords remain undefeated and take a 9-0 record into the holiday break.
The Lords will bring in in the new year by welcoming a host of opponents to the CRWC for the annual Adidas Cup beginning on Friday, Jan. 4. OCAA conference play will then resume with Durham on the road for four straight matches starting with the Loyalist Lancers on Friday, Jan. 11.
• Lords outside hitter
Althea Boncheff (Alliston, Ont.) will carry her hot streak into the holiday break after recording her first 20-plus point match of the season. The powerhouse registered a game-high 22 points from 14 kills, five service aces and three blocks.
• Durham dominated action in the middle thanks to the strong play of
Alexa Armstrong (Whitby, Ont.) and
Cassidy Nicholson-Clarke (Ajax, Ont.). Both second-year players recorded 13 points, with Armstrong notching nine kills and four blocks, while Nicholson-Clarke tallied nine kills, two service aces and two blocks.
• Jess Venhuizen provided a team-high 14 points for Canadore from 11 kills, one service ace and two blocks.
• Along with a double-digit point total offensively,
Jessica Joensen (Pickering, Ont.) led the Lords defensively with a team-high 16 digs.
•
Karlina Domingo (Pickering, Ont.) registered a game-high 26 assists, while sharing time at the setter position with freshman
Georgi Williams (Whitby, Ont.) who notched 14 assists.
• Canadore's offence ran exclusively through Ashlyn Kadlecik, who contributed all 23 of the team's assists. Along with leading the team offensively, Venhuizen also recorded a game-high 20 digs for the Panthers.
Overall Record: 16-7
Conference Record: 9-0
Next game: Friday, Jan. 11 @ Loyalist Lancers • 6 p.m. – Belleville, Ont.
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