By: Ryleigh Mulvihill
SCARBOROUGH - Alia Ricciardelli had 12 kills in a 3-1 loss to Algonquin in Saturday afternoon OCAA women's volleyball action.
The Centennial Colts (4-14) lost both their final home game and last regular game of the season to the playoff-bound Algonquin Wolves (11-7).
The first two sets of the game played out the same as the day before. The Colts lost the opening two sets, fighting for a comeback.
The first set went to Algonquin by a commanding score of 25-16, and the second 25-17.
Although the score did not show it, Centennial kept up defensively. By the end of the game, Centennial had 71 digs, in comparison to Algonquin's 58. Arguably the top four players on the Colts this season, Alia Ricciardelli, Sophia Clement, Fatemeh Rouhi, and Isabella Health, accounted for 60 of these digs.
The Colts were able to continue plays, but the Wolves were better in other categories.
Notably, Algonquin made 17 service aces, while Centennial only made 6. Centennial finished 18th in the league in service aces total. The Colts struggled with this once again throughout the game, as Algonquin was able to get fast points and keep Centennial chasing.
The third set was the highlight of the game. "Extra volleyball" was needed as the Colts were able to catch the Wolves in a weak set. Plenty of rallies and great plays ultimately resulted in Centennial getting a well-deserved 28-26 win. The Colts have shown all season that they will always bring effort, even if the score is not in their favour.
The fourth set went to Algonquin 25-19.
The ladies of Colts volleyball look to build off this learning season. With much of the team in their first year, this group of players can improve for years to come.