It's never an easy task, getting yourself up for a bronze medal match but the Warriors, as they have all season long, fought through adversity and came away with an incredible five set win over Western on Saturday afternoon to claim OUA bronze.
"It was a complete team effort today, from top to bottom and I am so proud of our girls," said head coach
Richard Eddy. "I am especially proud of the depth we showed and our first year players who stepped up and filled big roles when called upon."
Less than 24 hours after a heart breaking defeat at the hands of the Toronto Varsity Blues, Waterloo appeared to be heading for another 3-1 loss, down 23-20 in the fourth until second year setter
Katrine Eistrat (Toronto/) stepped up to the service line and registered five straight points to give her Warriors the fourth 25-23.
Claire Mackenzie (Vancouver/) put down two massive kills while
Grace Crooks (Ottawa/) had two key blocks to lead the comeback effort.
In the fifth, Waterloo took a 8-6 lead into the switch over and from the Warriors took full advantage of the home crowd while
Samantha Warner (Ayr/),
Sarah Glynn (Fredericton/) and Mackenzie collected big kills to push Waterloo to the finish line, as the black and gold took the set 15-9.
It was Waterloo's outside hitters doing most of the damage as Mackenzie and Glynn teamed up for 30 kills. Both would finish the match with 19.5 points with Glynn leading the way from the service line with six aces while Mackenzie added one. For the second straight game, Mackenzie was named Waterloo's Player of the Match.
Waterloo's dynamic duo up the middle of
Ella Stewart (Ottawa/) and
Samantha Warner (Ayr/) also made noise each with six kills, while Stewart led the way with five blocks while Warner had two.
A pair of rookies also played key roles in the win as mentioned by Eddy, as
Karen Fan (Oakville/) put down six kills and added three blocks at key times in the match while Crooks put down one kill and added two blocks.
It was a team effort defensively as five Warriors reached nine or more digs. Glynn led the way with 11 while
Sarah Remedios (Ajax/), Fan, and Mackenzie each had 10.
Claire Gagne (Cambridge/) was her usual strong self with 36 assists while Eistrat chipped in with seven.
For Western, Kelsey Veltman was outstanding with 25 kills and seven blocks and was not surprisingly named Western's Player of the Match.
"It was a season to remember and I am extremely proud of each and every one of those girls in that locker room," said Eddy.
"They played their hearts out today and earned those bronze medals. I am especially happy for our seniors who get to finish their careers on a winning note. They took this team from a 5-14 record to 19-3 in their final season and I could not be more delighted for them."
