The Algonquin Wolves women's volleyball team faced their cross-town rivals, the La Cité Coyotes, on Wednesday night at the Jack Doyle Athletics & Recreation Centre, looking to move to 2–0 on the season. The matchup has been evenly contested in recent years as last season, the two programs split their series and finished with identical 12–6 records.
The first set followed a familiar pattern early on, with both teams trading points and neither side able to establish a lead. That changed midway through when Cambria Alford sparked the Wolves with a back-row kill, followed by back-to-back kills from Carys Tenthorey to make it 12–7. The Coyotes called a timeout, but it did little to slow Algonquin's momentum. The Wolves extended their advantage to 20–12, capped off by an Alford ace that forced another La Cité timeout. Dominant at the net, Gabbie Paquette closed out the set with two key blocks as Algonquin claimed the opener 25–15.
The Wolves carried that energy into the second set, jumping out to a 9–3 lead as La Cité struggled from the service line. Strong defensive play from the Wolves kept rallies alive, and a block from Pasha Ormerod helped extend the lead to 15–7. With the Coyotes attempting to mount a late push, Chanel Ethier came up big with a solo block and a kill to shut the door, giving Algonquin the 25–16 win and a commanding 2–0 lead in the match. Paquette showed her veteran experience, scoring off a setter dump and adding two tough serves to force back-to-back errors, then setting up Tenthorey for a kill to make it 12–5.
Algonquin's relentless service pressure proved too much for La Cité to handle, and two more aces from Ormerod helped seal the 25–14 set win, and the 3–1 match victory.
Several Wolves contributed to the win. Ormerod finished with 7 kills, 4 aces, and a block, while Tenthorey led the attack with 10 kills and a block. Éthier added 6 kills, 2 aces, and a block while anchoring the defense with a team-high 18 digs.
Next up, the Wolves return to the ARC on Friday, November 8, to take on the Loyalist Lancers on Mavs Appreciation Night. A big crowd is expected, so fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early.
Additionally, throughout November, the Wolves women's team is holding a bottle drive in support of breast cancer research. Fans are encouraged to bring clean, empty, and unbroken bottles and cans to upcoming home games to help support this important cause.
