On Saturday night, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks’ women’s volleyball team defeated the 11-6 Brock Badgers three sets to none (25-18, 25-18 and 25-18) to snap their four-match losing streak.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hawks, as the team has been struggling as of late, losing 11 of their last 12 contests before Saturday’s game.
Although the playoffs are no longer an option, the win definitely helps the team’s confidence going forward.
So what did the Hawks do differently this week that allowed them to be successful?
“I wish I knew. If I did I would probably get paid a lot more money,” joked head coach Luke Snider.
“We were able to play with a sense of calm and confidence that had kind of eluded us in previous games. I think a lot of that had to do with a nice strong start and the adjustments we made earlier in the game.”
Big games were turned in by fifth-year Kaitlin Sauder – who, according to the PA announcer, was “officially on fire” – and team captain Tesca Andrew-Wasylik, who took home player of the game honours thanks in large part to some timely kills, 15 in all, and excellent serving with three service aces.
Rookie Julie Gordon could have just as easily been the MVP as she ended all hopes of a Badgers comeback in the second set with two massive kills that made one parent at the game exclaim “good Lord!”
Although the offence was on point, it was the defence that really shined. Early in the first set, the purple and gold came up with some big blocks that set the tone for the rest of the match.
It seemed like every shot was either blocked or altered, giving the purple and gold ample time to set up the offence.
“We worked a lot on our defence this week and it really paid off tonight,” said Gordon.
The Hawks now have a 5-12 record and sit in sixth place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) west division.
The team has two matches left this season, one against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who sit in first place in the OUA’s east division at a record of 12-4, and one game against the Windsor Lancers, who are last in the OUA west at 1-15.
Despite the fact that the Hawks will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, a strong finish will definitely provide some much-needed momentum heading into next year.
