(London, Ontario) – The Falcons Women's Volleyball team (9-9) opened their playoffs at home inside Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre against the OCAA East Division fifth seed Centennial (11-7) and dominated the Colts in a straight-sets victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons showed their strength early in this match as they started the first set outscoring Centennial 12-1 early. The Birds offence was clicking often and was led by two Dorchester Ontario natives, Grace McLean and Jaime Worsfold. Both McLean and Worsfold racked up a team high nine kills and 12 points, showcasing their high-flying ability all match long. Fanshawe went on to win the first set by a commanding 25-12.
After the first set display put on by the Birds, Centennial began to pick their play up. The Falcons' defence was put to the test against a Colts squad with multiple heavy hitters. Fanshawe totaled 32 digs in this match with Charlee Akehurst (Kitchener, ON) leading the Birds with eight on the night. With the backline on lock, it was Kaidance Matteis (Chatham, ON) leading the net defence, collecting three blocks in this match. The Falcons strong defensive effort helped them close out the second set 25-19.
The third set saw the Falcons down 14-8 with Centennial eyeing a comeback in the match. After a timeout by Falcons coach Sean Pellow, the Birds regrouped and looked poised to not let this match extend any further. Fanshawe outscored the Colts 15-9 after the timeout which led to the set being even at 23 a piece. It was Matteis who was the hero in clutch time as she drilled a kill for point 24 and then blocked the following Centennial attack to win the set 25-23 and clean sweep the Colts three sets to none.
The Falcons will be back in Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre to host their quarter-final playoff game against the OCAA West Division eighth seed Conestoga (7-11) after the Condors upset the undefeated OCAA East Division first seed, Seneca Sting (18-0). The Falcons split the season series with Conestoga this year with both teams taking a match. The Fanshawe Women's team will look for a boost from the home crowd faithful on Saturday, February 15 at 1:00 p.m. as a quarter-finals victory will book their ticket to a semi-finals matchup at OCAA Championships.
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