Banner Season: Reigning champion Varsity Blues welcome final four field to Toronto for Quigley Cup quarrels
Toronto (by David DiCenzo) - Months of exhausting training and nightly battles with conference foes are winding down for Ontario University Athletics’ top women’s volleyball teams. Only four squads remain. And their next two matches each will determine who earns the right to raise the championship banner. The Brock Badgers, Western Mustangs, and Guelph Gryphons will make their way to Toronto this upcoming weekend to compete for the Quigley Cup alongside the host Varsity Blues.
2020 Quigley Cup Women's Volleyball Final Four Fan Guide
The OUA West is always a hard-fought division and the 2019-20 season was a shining example of how truly competitive those teams are. Three of them make up this year’s Final Four, led by the first-place Badgers. Head coach Steve Delaney’s Brock roster, featuring a mix of experience and youth, compiled an impressive 14-5 record in the regular season, thanks in part to an attack that was often too difficult for opponents to overcome. The No. 8 Badgers ranked first in the OUA in both kills per set (12.11) and assists per set (11.59), while also finishing second in both hitting percentage (.227) and in total assists (823). One of the roster standouts was veteran left side Laura Condotta, who posted some great numbers by ranking second in the conference with 257 kills. Fourth-year setter Emily Armstrong, the conference leader in assists per set (9.11), was usually the one getting Condotta in the right position to finish. While Condotta and Armstrong showed the poise expected from battle-tested players, rookie libero Aleiah Torres was a revelation for the team, leading way in digs with 182 (tied for 12th in the OUA).
Brock started strong in its straight-set takedown of the York Lions in quarterfinal play last week, winning comfortably by scores of 25-16, 25-19, and 25-14. The Badgers, who were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Toronto in last year’s playoffs, will meet Guelph in one of the two Final Four matchups.
The Gryphons come to the Quigley Cup unranked but in sensational form. A four-match losing streak in November threatened to sink Guelph’s season early, but just like the team did two years ago, they won eight of their final 10 matches once the calendar turned to finish 12-7. Three-time OUA West Coach of the Year Paul Funk preached aggression in all phases for a team that led the league in attacks with 2,626 and ranked first in both digs per set (15.83) and total blocks (167). Third-year libero and team motor Tara Tanasijevic had another memorable season defensively, producing 308 digs (second in the conference). The offence was left to the capable hands of fourth-year setter Alex Curran and the perennial all-star didn’t disappoint, racking up an OUA-best 630 assists, while also finishing eighth overall in digs with 204. Curran had many options offensively as Guelph had four players ranked in the top 22 for kills, with rookie left side Jade Ziebarth leading the way at 198, followed by veteran Lisa Wedel (170).
The Gryphons, in search of their first ever OUA banner, will be buoyed by their upset 3-2 quarterfinal over the No. 4 Ryerson Rams in Toronto last week. Left side Alexandra Proulx was dominant in that match registering a team-high 19 kills.
No. 10 Western last won the Quigley Cup in the 2010-11 season and begins their Final Four journey with a tough matchup against the host and defending OUA champion Varsity Blues. But the Mustangs, the conference’s bronze medalist last season, won’t be phased after finishing right behind Brock with a great 13-6 record, including wins in seven of their last 10 matches heading into the playoffs. Head coach Melissa Bartlett’s team brings unique skills to the table, like an OUA-best 203 service aces, the ability to block (second in conference with 154), and a hunger to go get the ball (1,093 total digs, good for third in the league). Versatile fourth-year outside hitter Melissa Langegger paced the team in kills with 200, while also finishing second in the OUA in aces per set (0.59). Langegger wasn’t just an offensive catalyst; however, as she also topped the team in digs with 167. Fellow senior Jessica Lam set the table for the team with 568 assists, which ranked her fifth in the conference in that category.
The Mustangs have definite momentum heading into the Quigley Cup and they will need it against Toronto. Western finished the season with respective 3-0 and 3-2 wins over OUA West rivals the McMaster Marauders and Brock before handling the Queen’s Gaels in a straight-set quarterfinal win.
The defending champion Varsity Blues host this year’s event seeking a fourth OUA banner in the past six seasons, a run that also included a U SPORTS championship in 2015-16. Ranked No. 2 in the country, Toronto features a dominant lineup that went 17-2 to lead the OUA East. Precision is one of the calling cards for eight-time OUA East Coach of the Year Kristine Drakich’s squad. The Varsity Blues led the conference in hitting percentage at .247 and fifth-year star Alina Dormann was a big influence on that front. The three-time OUA East MVP had another stellar season, ranking third in the league in kills with 253, which brought her to 1,232 over the course of her illustrious Toronto career. Dormann and fellow teammates like setter Hayley Goodwin (11th in the league with 390 assists), libero Asli Ersozoglu (ninth in the OUA in digs per set at 2.87), and fifth-year middle blocker Anna Licht (second in the conference with 30 solo blocks) will hope they can close their season with another banner on their home court.
Fans looking to take in this weekend's highly anticipated final four can either purchase tickets or tune in LIVE to oua.tv to catch all of the Quigley Cup action.
