Women’s Volleyball
In a highly anticipated semi-finals match on March 1, Queen’s Women’s Volleyball faced off against the visiting McMaster Marauders in front of a sold-out crowd for a chance to compete in the OUA championship game.
Coming off a 12-game winning streak, the Gaels came out strong in the first set, leading 8-3 when McMaster called their first timeout of the game. Strong serves from Aimee Lemire, ConEd ’25, Amanda Siksna, ConEd ’25, and Mary Stewart, ConEd ’25, helped lead the way in the opening frame.
Lemire was consistently strong at the net, with huge swings that the Marauders couldn’t return.
The Marauders kept the game close, with their first lead of the game coming at 23-22 in the first set. They stayed within a point or two throughout most of the set.
At the end of the first set, out of back court, Hannah Duchesneau, ArtSci ’24, led the way for the Gaels with multiple strong serves and back row attacks.
The first set ended in favour of the Gaels, with a score of 34-32.
“We probably couldn’t have done it without the fans there and the continuous for us,” said Gaels Head Coach Ryan Ratushniak.
In the second set, the Marauders battled for redemption, finding a lead of 13-5 following the Gaels second timeout of the set.
The Gaels came out fighting late in the second set and tightened the score, but it was ultimately the Marauders who came out on top with a score of 25-22.
Once again, the Marauders started out the third set strong shutting down Queen’s offence early.
Gaels Setter Shea Baker, ArtSci ’24, wasn’t rattled by this. As a strong presence at the net—making smart plays with a handful of big blocks—Baker carried this momentum into her serves and throughout the set.
The Gaels fed off the energy from the crowd in the ARC throughout the third set, but it was the Marauders who once again topped the Gaels with a score of 25-19.
Knowing the next set could determine who goes to OUA finals, the Gaels came out playing hard.
Despite the Gaels’ efforts, the Marauders who won in the fourth set with a score of 25-19 and will continue their playoff run.
“[Queen’s] continued to battle and fight really hard. I thought they stayed together, ing each other, well. That’s part of our culture,” Ratushniak said.
Although it wasn’t the outcome the Gaels had hoped for, Queen’s Women’s Volleyball had a historic season with a record of 18-2, and a 12-game win-streak going into the semi-final game.
Men’s Volleyball
The Queen’s Men’s Volleyball team faced the visiting Brock Badgers in the OUA semi-finals on March 1 looking to earn their spot in the championship game. The ARC was packed, the crowd was loud, and the momentum was high at the start of the first set.
Both the Gaels and the Badgers came out with explosive energy to start the game. Dax Tompkins, ArtSci ’24, was unstoppable from the game’s outset, both offensively and defensively.
Despite being down in the first set, with strong efforts from the service line by Zig Licis, Sci ’24, and Erik Siksna, Comm ’24, the Gaels fought to bring the score to 23-21, forcing the Badgers to take a timeout.
Siksna couldn’t be iced and continued to serve strong after the Badgers time out.
“We just have full faith in each other that it just takes that one game breaking [serving] run from any one of the guys to get us ahead,” Siksna said.
The Brock Badgers prevailed in the first set, taking the score 27-25.
The Gaels came out with a vengeance, starting the second set out with a 5-1 lead.
Licis held his ground, with strong serves and big hits, making him an unstoppable force for the Gaels and the Badgers couldn’t find a way around Tompkins.
At the end of the second set, the Gaels won 25-17. The energy levels in the ARC were high and the Gaels were only building momentum as the set continued.
“It’s awesome in here. [It] gets loud to the point where you can’t hear but to have that is such a huge advantage and it’s something that’s super special and can’t really take for granted,” Licis said.
The Gaels looked to carry this momentum into the third, but the Badgers held their ground and kept the score close.
On a solo block by Licis, the Gaels closed out the third set, winning 27-25.
Brock didn’t back down at the start of the fourth set and once again kept the score close with the Gaels.
The Gaels pulled ahead in the middle of the set, with a score of 15-11, and the Badgers just couldn’t keep up.
Keeping their foot on the gas, the Gaels won the fourth and final set 25-20, sinching their spot in the OUA Championship game.
Regardless of that game’s outcome, the Gaels are set to host and play in the U SPORTS National Championship later this month.
“I think this is the opportunity of a lifetime to host nationals on homecourt and I think these guys are just ready to embrace it. By the time we get there, moments like this are really going to help us,” Gaels Head Coach Gabriel DeGroot said.
The Gaels will face the McMaster Marauders Friday March 8 at 7 p.m. in Hamilton, looking for the chance to win the coveted Forsyth Cup.
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