![Blues swimming and Gee-Gees volleyball named Pizza Pizza OUA teams of the month for February](/sports/swim/2012-13/releases/WVB_0304132937.html_l0tye.jpeg)
Blues swimming and Gee-Gees volleyball named Pizza Pizza OUA teams of the month for February
All Pizza Pizza OUA Teams of the Month will receive a pizza party, courtesy of Pizza Pizza.
FEMALE: Ottawa Gee-Gees Volleyball
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team captured the OUA championship banner in a five set thriller at the Final Four, the team’s first championship since 2007.
Ottawa then earned the third seed at the national championship tournament and defeated the RSEQ finalist Sherbrooke Vert et Or in their quarterfinal match 3-0. That win sent an OUA team to the national semifinal for the first time since 2001.
In the semis, the Gee-Gees put on a great show by pushing the Alberta Pandas to five sets before ultimately finishing fourth at the national championship. Ottawa won five straight matches in February, going 5-3 overall in the month.
They were led by OUA Player of the Year Karina Krueger Schwanke, who was also named a CIS first team all-star and a national championship tournament all-star.
MALE: Toronto Varsity Blues Swimming
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s swimming team capped off another successful season by claiming the OUA and CIS championship titles in the month of February.
Toronto earned their 10th consecutive OUA banner in their home pool on February 9. The Blues dominated the three-day meet, finishing 169 points ahead of the silver medalist McMaster Marauders.
U of T went onto claim their first national banner since 1994, finishing 15 points ahead of the defending champion UBC Thunderbirds. Toronto is the first non-Canada West team to win the title in the past 18 years and claimed their CIS-leading 17th national banner in program history.
Fourth-year veteran Zack Chetrat was named the OUA male swimmer of the year, as well as the OUA and CIS male athlete of the week, with three wins in as many races. The Blues won 13 individual and relay titles during the provincial meet and added three gold medals on the national stage.
Byron MacDonald and Linda Kiefer were named the OUA and CIS male coaches of the year, while David Dorian claimed the CIS student-athlete community service award.