The Queen's Gaels fell 3-2 in a five-set match against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night on the road. Leading the Gaels offense was Claire Carter (Business) with 10 kills and 8 service aces. Also contributing to the attack was Abigail McAlpine (Arts & Science) with 10 kills. Setter Kennedy Millin (Education) directed the offense with 31 assists and 2 kills. Libero Kendra Hudson (Arts & Science) made 13 digs, supporting Queen's defensively.
The Gaels came into the game with a slow start, struggling with their attack errors. The Gee-Gees managed to get a 5-1 lead, forcing an early Queen's timeout. The Gaels showed resilience, clawing their way back to a 6-6 tie. The momentum began to shift, as Ottawa struggled with errors. Despite this, the Gee-Gees started to distance themselves on the scoreboard late in the set, as they found a 21-16 lead. Ottawa reached set point first, and while Carter kept the Gaels alive for one more point, the away team fell 25-19 in the first set.
After a tough first set, Queen's found their rhythm, flipping the narrative in the second set. The Gaels picked up a quick 6-1 lead and forced an early Gee-Gees timeout. Coming off the timeout, Carter picked up their third service ace of the game, stunning the Ottawa defense. The Gaels defense adjusted well to Ottawa's attack, covering open areas on the court that the Gee-Gees previously scored in. The home team made an offensive push late in the set, however, the Gaels held onto their lead. Ellaina Coley (Arts & Science) subbed into the rotation late in the set to make a service ace as Queen's neared set point. Millin came through with a big block to allow the Gaels to take the second set 25-20.
Early in the third set, Carter was dominant on the service line, adding four more service aces to their total of seven on the night. Queen's made seven consecutive points, looking dominant early in the third. The Gaels continued to hold a lead through the third set, approaching set point with a 22-14 lead with the help of back-to-back aces from Lauren MacPhail (Arts & Science). The Gee-Gees fought back to close the gap late in the set, but Queen's managed to maintain their lead. The away team finished the set on top, 25-19.
After three close sets with the teams exchanging the lead, the Gee-Gees established a lead early on in the fourth set. The Gaels were trailing 11-4, however, they remained composed, narrowing the Ottawa lead to 15-13. A service ace from Christine Abu (Arts & Science) late in the set overturned the Gee-Gees lead, 19-18, and forced a home team timeout. Intensity was high, as Ottawa retook the lead late in the set, 22-21. As the game entered extra points, the Gaels fought to end the game in four sets. Despite their best efforts, the Gee-Gees stayed alive to extend the game to five sets, taking the fourth 27-25.
The Gee-Gees carried their momentum from the end of the fourth set into the fifth, picking up the first three points. The Gaels put up a hard-fought battle, however, Ottawa battled through with their home crowd cheering them on. The Gee-Gees took the game in a come-from-behind win, taking the final set 15-7.
Up next, the Gaels will look forward to rematching against the Gee-Gees tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. Queen's move their record to 13-6 as they approach playoffs.
