Double gold for Lakers volleyball squads

November 13, 2006

Source: Nipissing University
http://www.nipissingu.ca/news/view.asp?ID=20060834

The Nipissing University volleyball teams capped off an impressive weekend in OCAA tournament action by claiming gold. The men claimed the 2006 Lakers Volleyball Classic with an exciting 3-2 win over the Georgian Grizzlies while the Lady Lakers dropped Cambrian College 2-0 to take the Kabuum tournament title in Sudbury.

In round robin play the Lakers men’s team went on to defeat Canadore 2-0 (25-19, 25-13), Georgian 2-1 (25-22, 21-25, 15-9) and La Cite 2-0 (26-24, 25-19).

The semi-finals pitted the Lakers against the Golden Shield in what would turn out to be a very close match. "We knew Cambrian would be a very tough semi- final, as we have already played them in two previous tournaments losing both times," said head coach Duane Culin.

The Lakers dictated play early in the first set with tough serving and good blocking. However, once the team hit the 20 point mark, an inability to side out proved costly as the Shield stormed back to take the first set. The second set was also closely contested, however, the Lakers emerged victorious, 27-25, which would set up an exciting final set. The Lakers quickly found themselves down 7-2, before a Lakers six point run allowed them to lead 8-7 into the switch. Both teams continued to battle point for point with the Lakers coming out on top in the end 16-14. "We had another lapse falling behind late in the game. However, they never gave up and showed a lot of heart wining the third 16-14," added Culin

In the final match the Lakers took the first two sets, however, couldn’t close out the match as Georgian forced a final and deciding set. The Lakers managed to find their intensity and pulled off the win in the final set 15-11.

"This tournament was a good opportunity to get the first-year players some court time and they definitely took advantage of it. We needed to win this tournament to establish some league credibility," added Culin

LADY LAKERS CLAIM GOLD AT KABUUM TOURNAMENT

SUDBURY, ON - The Lady Lakers continued to roll, posting a perfect tournament record of 12-0 on their way to their second tournament title in as many weeks. The Lady Lakers, ranked the top team in Ontario and fourth in the Country, finished first in their pool with 2-0 victories over Canadore, Cambrian, Boreal and Seneca. In semi-final action the Lakers put forth an impressive effort, dominating their cross-campus rivals the Canadore Panthers with a 2-0 (25-9, 25-10) victory.

"It was a very good team effort this weekend," said head coach Marc LaRochelle. "Every player saw court time and contributed to our team’s success."

"The attribute I like the best about our team at the moment is that we never panic. Even when we are not playing at our best the girls believe in their abilities and find ways to close out matches. In the last two weeks we have had valuable contributions from a variety of players and our team depth is proving to be a valuable asset."

The Lakers will be working on some offensive and defensive adjustments as they prepare for a pair of pivotal divisional matches this weekend against Sheridan and Humber. "Although we have won two tournaments in a row, the ladies realize that there is still work ahead in order to get to their ultimate goal of winning gold at the provincial championships," added assistant coach Ben Hong.

Games will be held at the Robert J. Surtees Athletic Centre as the Lakers host Sheridan on Saturday and Humber on Sunday. The women hit the court first at noon followed by the men at 2:00 p.m.