March 19, 2022
Banner Season: Brock, Toronto collide again in Quigley Cup championship rematch
Burlington, Ont. (via David DiCenzo) - We all try to remember what life was like back in March 2020. Thanks to a pair of OUA women's volleyball titans, fans will get a small taste. The Brock Badgers and Toronto Varsity Blues fought for a provincial banner the last time an OUA championship was awarded. Two years later, the conference's most dominant teams will cross paths again in an OUA Quigley Cup Championship rematch.
2021-22 OUA Quigley Cup Championship | Fan Guide | Watch
The Varsity Blues attempt to claim a third straight conference title when they travel to the Bob Davis Gymnasium to face Brock in a tantalizing battle of undefeated teams. The match gets underway at 7 pm and can be seen on oua.tv, cbcsports.ca, and through the CBC Gem app.
This sequel to the 2020 final has the makings of a classic. Their level of play was incredibly high as both teams ploughed through the regular season schedule. The Varsity Blues, ranked No. 3 in U SPORTS, finished a perfect 12-0 and dropped just five sets all year. Brock's season mirrored that, as the No. 2-ranked hosts went 13-0 and lost a mere four sets along the way. The Badgers and Varsity Blues each finished 1-2 in both team kills per set (13.91 for Brock, 12.78 for Toronto) and team assists per set (12.79 for the hosts and 12.07 for the visitors), and while they bring several similarities to the court, this meeting will be their first of the 2021-22 season after play was limited to in-division matches only.
Led by East Division Coach of the Year Kristine Drakich, Toronto began its playoff run with an impressive 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-14,25-13) over the Nipissing Lakers. The Blues were never really troubled in the match and as expected, received a huge performance from standout first-year player Julia Murmann. The talented outside hitter was just named East Division rookie of the year and owns big-stage experience having played for the Canadian youth team, as well the national teams competing in both the NORCECA championships and Pan Am Cup last year. Murmann rose to the occasion in her first taste of the OUA playoffs. After finishing third in the conference in kills per set during the regular season (3.44), the rookie arts & science student led all players with 19 kills and 20 points en route to eliminating the Lakers.
It was far from easy, however, in Toronto's semifinal matchup with the Queen's Gaels. The Varsity Blues secured the first set 25-14 before dropping the next two, both by scores of 25-21. The two-time defending OUA champions were dangerously close to going home, just two points away from defeat at 24-24 in the fourth frame. But a kill from the East Division MVP Jenna Woock gave them a 25-24 lead and they ultimately escaped with a 27-25 set win thanks to a couple of late Queen's errors. Toronto finished off the Gaels 15-10 in the fifth to advance to the championship match.
Murmann led all players in the match with 25 kills and showed incredible desire by pacing her team with 21 digs. Her 44 total kills in both matches combined leads all OUA playoff performers, while third-year setter and OUA East first team all-star Hayley Goodwin tops all postseason players with 11.75 assists per set.
The Badgers boast tremendous talent thanks to third-year setter and West Division first team all-star Sara Rohr; fellow first team selection Grace Pyatt, a fourth-year middle; and a pair of rookie hitters in Madison Chimienti and Sadie Dick, who both earned spots on the West's second team squad and all-rookie team.
West Division Coach of the Year Steve Delaney guided this group to a perfect regular-season record before seeing his team start its playoff run with a convincing 3-0 win (25-20, 25-21, 25-16) over the Waterloo Warriors on home turf back on March 12. The Badgers' balanced attack was complemented by a sound defensive performance, led by Rohr and second-year libero Aleiah Torres, who racked up 14 and 10 digs, respectively. There was no let-up when the OUA's top seed faced the Western Mustangs in the West Division final. Brock had to fight to secure the first set after Western went on a 5-0 run to tie it at 18-18, and the back-and-forth continued for the remainder of the opening frame. The Mustangs took a brief 24-23 lead before the hosts closed by winning four of the last five points to take it 27-25. A Laurin Ainsworth kill ended the second set 25-22 and Brock took charge in the third, eliminating Western with a 25-17 set win for a second consecutive 3-0 playoff sweep.
The last time the two rivals met, the Varsity Blues prevailed 3-0, needing an epic 31-29 third-set win to earn a second straight OUA banner. The U SPORTS championships were then cancelled because of the pandemic, denying Brock a chance at redemption on the national stage and Toronto a dream ending to the season.
Two years later, these two OUA giants will stare each other down again - and motivation shouldn't be an issue.
2021-22 OUA Quigley Cup Championship | Fan Guide | Watch
The Varsity Blues attempt to claim a third straight conference title when they travel to the Bob Davis Gymnasium to face Brock in a tantalizing battle of undefeated teams. The match gets underway at 7 pm and can be seen on oua.tv, cbcsports.ca, and through the CBC Gem app.
This sequel to the 2020 final has the makings of a classic. Their level of play was incredibly high as both teams ploughed through the regular season schedule. The Varsity Blues, ranked No. 3 in U SPORTS, finished a perfect 12-0 and dropped just five sets all year. Brock's season mirrored that, as the No. 2-ranked hosts went 13-0 and lost a mere four sets along the way. The Badgers and Varsity Blues each finished 1-2 in both team kills per set (13.91 for Brock, 12.78 for Toronto) and team assists per set (12.79 for the hosts and 12.07 for the visitors), and while they bring several similarities to the court, this meeting will be their first of the 2021-22 season after play was limited to in-division matches only.
Led by East Division Coach of the Year Kristine Drakich, Toronto began its playoff run with an impressive 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-14,25-13) over the Nipissing Lakers. The Blues were never really troubled in the match and as expected, received a huge performance from standout first-year player Julia Murmann. The talented outside hitter was just named East Division rookie of the year and owns big-stage experience having played for the Canadian youth team, as well the national teams competing in both the NORCECA championships and Pan Am Cup last year. Murmann rose to the occasion in her first taste of the OUA playoffs. After finishing third in the conference in kills per set during the regular season (3.44), the rookie arts & science student led all players with 19 kills and 20 points en route to eliminating the Lakers.
It was far from easy, however, in Toronto's semifinal matchup with the Queen's Gaels. The Varsity Blues secured the first set 25-14 before dropping the next two, both by scores of 25-21. The two-time defending OUA champions were dangerously close to going home, just two points away from defeat at 24-24 in the fourth frame. But a kill from the East Division MVP Jenna Woock gave them a 25-24 lead and they ultimately escaped with a 27-25 set win thanks to a couple of late Queen's errors. Toronto finished off the Gaels 15-10 in the fifth to advance to the championship match.
Murmann led all players in the match with 25 kills and showed incredible desire by pacing her team with 21 digs. Her 44 total kills in both matches combined leads all OUA playoff performers, while third-year setter and OUA East first team all-star Hayley Goodwin tops all postseason players with 11.75 assists per set.
The Badgers boast tremendous talent thanks to third-year setter and West Division first team all-star Sara Rohr; fellow first team selection Grace Pyatt, a fourth-year middle; and a pair of rookie hitters in Madison Chimienti and Sadie Dick, who both earned spots on the West's second team squad and all-rookie team.
West Division Coach of the Year Steve Delaney guided this group to a perfect regular-season record before seeing his team start its playoff run with a convincing 3-0 win (25-20, 25-21, 25-16) over the Waterloo Warriors on home turf back on March 12. The Badgers' balanced attack was complemented by a sound defensive performance, led by Rohr and second-year libero Aleiah Torres, who racked up 14 and 10 digs, respectively. There was no let-up when the OUA's top seed faced the Western Mustangs in the West Division final. Brock had to fight to secure the first set after Western went on a 5-0 run to tie it at 18-18, and the back-and-forth continued for the remainder of the opening frame. The Mustangs took a brief 24-23 lead before the hosts closed by winning four of the last five points to take it 27-25. A Laurin Ainsworth kill ended the second set 25-22 and Brock took charge in the third, eliminating Western with a 25-17 set win for a second consecutive 3-0 playoff sweep.
The last time the two rivals met, the Varsity Blues prevailed 3-0, needing an epic 31-29 third-set win to earn a second straight OUA banner. The U SPORTS championships were then cancelled because of the pandemic, denying Brock a chance at redemption on the national stage and Toronto a dream ending to the season.
Two years later, these two OUA giants will stare each other down again - and motivation shouldn't be an issue.
