Queen’s Women’s Volleyball suffered a heartbreaking loss in round one of the OUA playoffs on Feb. 21, when they fell to the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues in five sets.
After dropping the first two sets, Queen’s was forced to play catch-up, ultimately losing the fifth and final set 15-6 against the eighth-seeded Varsity Blues.
The Gaels finished first in the OUA and were among the top-ranked teams in all of U SPORTS, boasting an impressive 17-3 record. Throughout the regular season, Queen’s dominated the Varsity Blues, winning both matchups in straight sets at the ARC on Nov. 29 and 30.
To add insult to injury, for players like Hannah Duchesneau, ArtSci ’25, Mary Stewart, ConEd ’25, Charley Baker, ArtSci ’25, and Amanda Siksna, ConEd ’25, this marked their final time suiting up in the Tri-Colour.
Head Coach of the Women’s Volleyball team, Shanice Marcelle, sat down with The Journal to discuss the loss and her first season as a Gael.
While Marcelle has rarely lost throughout her career, being a five-time CIS champion with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and a two-time Bundesliga champion in , she took the loss with humility and grace.
“The first big thing would just be a big kudos to Toronto. I think they played their butts off. They had a really phenomenal game defensively which made it a really difficult game for us,” Marcelle said.
Playing from behind is no small task, no matter the sport or stakes, and while Marcelle noted there were no surprises when it came to playing the Varsity Blues, she understands the importance of being able to adapt on the fly.
“We really struggled to make adaptations that we would have expected and it was just a really slow burn for us. I don’t think we showed up until the third set of the match, and by then it was just a little bit too late,” she said.
In of adjustments that Marcelle will be focusing on for future seasons, she mentioned her main priority is offense.
“Being just a little more creative in our offense when we’re not in perfect situations. I think we were a little predictable in our offense against Toronto in that match, especially when we were out of our system, or if everyone knew the ball was going to the left side, I think our attackers didn’t take enough risks.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss, there’s still a lot for Marcelle and the rest of the Women’s Volleyball team to be proud of. They were among the top-ranked teams in the nation throughout the regular season, and the Women’s team has a bright future to look toward.
“We’ve completed our recruiting class for next year, which is really exciting. We’re bringing in a wide variety of players, some that have high provincial team experience, some that have had youth national team experience, some that are playing on the top club teams in the OVA and the country right now,” Marcelle said.
Every year, Queen’s is focused on winning provincial and national banners. Marcelle noted that there might be a need to reassess next year’s team goals as a squad.
“I think for me, and this may just be me as a human, my goals are always the same. I want to win. I want to be the best. I want to be the best. I want to push whatever is possible. I do think for the team, there is probably a need to reassess what our actual team goals are.”
Ultimately, Queen’s Women’s Volleyball is in great hands. Led by a winner through and through, it’ll continue to be a competitive program for years to come.
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