Ottawa, Ont. - The Algonquin Wolves women's volleyball team hosted the St. Lawrence Surge on Wednesday night in their first home matchup against the Surge since they joined the OCAA this season. The Wolves delivered a strong performance, earning a convincing 3–0 sweep.
The two teams met earlier this season in a five-set marathon that saw Algonquin come out on top. Despite being in their first season back in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, the Surge have proven they belong, entering the match with an impressive 7–6 record. The Wolves, meanwhile, were coming off a tough five-set loss to Durham over the weekend and were eager to respond and get back into the win column.
Algonquin set the tone early, jumping out to a 10–3 lead and forcing a quick Surge timeout. The break did little to slow the Wolves, who continued to apply pressure and extended their lead to 18–4. Carys Tenthorey and Chanel Ethier, both coming off strong performances against Durham, picked up right where they left off, combining for 13 points in the Wolves' 25–15 opening set win.
The second set followed a similar script, with Algonquin once again racing out to a 10–5 lead. A key difference-maker was the Wolves' service pressure, which consistently kept the Surge out of system. Riley Lancia went on a lengthy serving run to help build a commanding 20–8 advantage, before finishing the set with a well-placed shot to the back court to seal the 25–13 win.
The third set saw the Wolves jump out to another early lead, this time at 11–4. While the Surge mounted a late push, Algonquin closed out the match with a 25–20 victory. With the win, the Wolves improve to 9–4 and sit third in the OCAA East Division.
Top performers for the Wolves included:
Carys Tenthorey: 18 kills, 1 ace (19 points)
Riley Lancia: 10 kills, 3 aces, 1 block (14 points)
Natasha Lauzon: 9 kills, 5 aces (14 points)
Next up, the Wolves head to Belleville for a quick one-match road trip on Saturday, January 31, where they will take on the Loyalist Lancers.
