The Redeemer Royals women's volleyball team gave their fans a show on Wednesday night. On the type of night where the story lines usually surround the men's volleyball team, it was the Lady Royals that everyone was talking about as Redeemer hosted the top-ranked Humber Hawks.
Redeemer matched the Hawks set for set and pushed the No. 3 nationally-ranked Hawks to the limit in a five-set thriller. After only dropping three games all season, the Hawks seemed to be in control, taking the first set 25-16 and the second 25-21.
But then something changed. Something sparked the Royals and as if someone turned on a light switch, Redeemer decided to wake up. Playing some of their best volleyball of the season, Redeemer took the third set 26-24, stunning the Hawks, who were targeting a 3-0 sweep.
Each player on Redeemer stepped up their game both offensively and defensively and forced the Hawks into making mistakes. Led by a record setting performance by Redeemer's Curtiss Straatsma (Brampton, Ont.), the Royals squeaked out a 27-25 win in the fourth set.
In the fifth set with the score tied 5-5 it looked as if the Lady Royals might pull off the miraculous comeback, but a run by the Hawks gave Humber the lead. The Hawks did not falter in the fifth as they took the game 15-8 and the match 3-2. The two games the Royals took from the Hawks were only the fourth and fifth sets that the Hawks have dropped all season, accumulating a total of 51 set wins.
Redeemer's Straatsma was virtually unstoppable as she ripped apart the Humber defence for 23 total kills, one ace, six blocks, and 30 total points. Both the 23 kills and 30 blocks set a new Redeemer Royals record. Her 30 points was only six shy of the all-time OCAA record.
Straatsma matched reigning OCAA Player of the Year and CCAA All-Canadian Kelly Nyhof throughout the match. While the Hawks won the battle for two points in the standings, it was Straatsma who won the battle between two of the top players in the country as she was able to squeak out two more kills and one more total point than Humber's Nyhof who finished with 21 and 29 respectively.
Redeemer's Rebekah Wright (Burlington, Ont.) had an impressive 30 digs in the loss.
The Royals will now look to take this strong play into their final two games of the season. In a situation of must-wins, Redeemer faces Mohawk College and Niagara College to decide who will be grabbing the final playoff spots.
Redeemer's April Passchier (Kitchener, Ont.) played in her final home game as a Royal.
Source: Redeemer University College