Falcons Women’s Volleyball Repeat as OCAA Champions

(London, Ontario) – The No. 6 nationally ranked Fanshawe Women's Volleyball team (21-1, 1^st in West) claimed their second consecutive OCAA championship with a hard fought 3-1 win over the No. 15 Humber Hawks (18-4, 2^nd in West). The provincial championship was being hosted by Canadore College in North Bay.

The two powerhouse teams traded points in the first set. Fanshawe had offense from Tarea Heshka (Erin, ON) and Janelle Albert (Brampton, ON) to gain a slight advantage. A kill from Kiana Lee (London, ON) stretched the lead for the red and white, as the Falcons would win set one 25-18.

In the second set, Fanshawe middle Mattea Deleary (Ridgetown, ON) had a hit, followed by a nice dump from setter Ashley Rafferty (Peace River, AB). Unfortunately, the Hawks stepped up their game and would go on a run that the Falcons couldn't recover from. Humber won set two 25-18.

Fanshawe started strong in the third set with a right side kill from Lee. Albert was all over the floor in the frame, as she recorded numerous digs to keep rallies alive. Albert then had a pair of kills to extend the lead to 16-8. Falcons' libero Lauren Reycraft (Kitchener, ON) had an amazing hustle play that excited the bench and the Birds won the third frame 25-18.

The fourth set saw Humber pull ahead early 10-6, and they would maintain their lead for most of the set. The Falcons would chip away, with Albert scoring on three straight kills to tie the game at 14. The Hawks went on another run late in the set, but the Birds would not let up. With the Hawks at set point to force a fifth and deciding set, a huge block from Kim Hardy (Melbourne, ON) tied it up at 24. Albert would then notch a kill to give Fanshawe a one-point lead. With an OCAA title on the line, Katie Stewart (Gananoque, ON) had the game winning hit for the Falcons. Fanshawe would claim their second consecutive OCAA gold medal on a thrilling 27-25 fourth set victory. The Player of the Match was Rafferty, while Deleary and Lee were named Tournament All-Stars. Albert was named the Tournament MVP for the second year in a row.

The Falcons now advance to the CCAA National Championships from March 11-14 in Quebec City.