(London, Ontario) – On Friday evening in their CCAA semi-final match, the No. 6 nationally ranked Fanshawe Women's Volleyball team fell to top seeded and two-time defending national champion Vancouver Island University (VIU) 3-1. The National Championship is being hosted by Garneau in Quebec City.

The Falcons and Mariners exchanged points to open the match, with Fanshawe getting points from Janelle Albert (Brampton, ON) and Kiana Lee (London, ON). VIU went on a 3-0 run, but an outstanding dig by Lauren Reycraft (Kitchener, ON) set up a kill for Mattea Deleary (Ridgetown, ON) to keep the Falcons within reach. Unfortunately, the Mariners would use another run to close out the first set and win 25-17.

A number of long rallies in the second set had both sides fighting for each point. Rookie middle Skylar Johnston (Hamilton, ON) gave Fanshawe some momentum with a kill, which sparked a 4-0 run for the Falcons to make the score 14-10 mid-set. The Birds extended their lead with a huge block from Lee, followed by a well-placed tip from Albert. Back-to-back digs from Deleary resulted in a Fanshawe point to make the score 22-16. The red and white would go on to claim set two, 25-19.  

The third set saw VIU jump out to an early 7-3 lead. The Falcons struggled to find their groove in the frame and the Mariners went on to win set three by a score of 25-14. The Mariners used that momentum to gain an advantage in set four. Down 19-14, a massive kill from Albert and a block from Johnston kept Fanshawe's hopes alive as they narrowed the gap. Despite Fanshawe's best efforts, VIU showed why they were ranked No. 1 in Canada and took set four 25-22 and the match 3-1. Deleary was named the Player of the Match for her performance.

The Falcons will now play in the bronze medal semi-final match on Saturday at 10:00am, where they will face the No. 7 Camosun Chargers. Viewers can watch the game live streamed on the CCAA website: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ccaasportsacsc/