varsity news
Durham Lords Media Release
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
East region champs aim for gold
OCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship
February 25-27, 2010
Hosted by Cambrian College (Sudbury, Ont.)
SUDBURY, Ont. – The Durham College women’s volleyball team will heading to Sudbury this weekend for the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) provincial championship. After finishing the year with a 17-3 conference record and winning the east region championship, the Lords will be one of the favourites to strike gold and advance to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship in March.
The three day event will kick off with the annual championship banquet on Thursday, February 25 followed by quarter-final action on day one. The championship will wrap up on Saturday, February 27 with the gold medal match scheduled to take place at 4 p.m.
The provincial championship returns to the final eight format with 12 games scheduled to take place over the three day championship.
The championship field will consist of:
Durham College, Oshawa (17-3, east region champions)
Humber Hawks, Etobicoke (19-1, west region champions)
Trent University, Peterborough (16-4, second place east region)
Nipissing University, North Bay (17-3, second place west region)
Sheridan College, Oakville (9-11, qualifier)
Fanshawe College, London (12-8, qualifier)
Mohawk College, Hamilton (15-5, qualifier)
Cambrian College, Sudbury (14-6, qualifier)
The Lords will take part in the second quarter-final match on day one of the championship as they will face Fanshawe College of London, Ont. First serve is at 3 p.m.
Overall, Durham has won 10 OCAA championship medals and four provincial titles. This marks the Lords 17th appearance in 18 years at the OCAA championship, but the first under the guidance of head coach Shane Christopher.
This year’s Durham squad is led by fifth year captain Mandi Doris (Ajax, Ont.), who averaged a team high 3.3 points per game this season. The Lords captain is the college’s all-time leader in matches played (81), kills (484), blocks (217) and points (771). She is also the OCAA all-time leader in blocks and third on the scoring charts. The only thing missing from her volleyball resume is an OCAA championship medal.
Kerri Fotherby (Newcastle, Ont.), Samantha Roelofsen (Elma, Ont.) and Allison Doris (Ajax, Ont.) also had great offensive seasons for Durham averaging over two points per game. Distributing the ball for the Lords is second year starter Meghan Renwick (Brooklin, Ont.), who is one of the top setters in the OCAA.
On the defensive end, the Lords are led by second year libero Kourtney Cyr (Uxbridge, Ont.), who finished the year with 184 digs, second overall in the OCAA east region.
The Lords quarter-final opponent, the Fanshawe Falcons, also have a defensive star as Justine Del Mundo led the OCAA in digs with 258 this season. Offensively, Fanshawe features a well balanced offensive attack with Katie Reist, Megan Walls, Shawna Chadbourn and Stacie Thomas all averaging at least two points per game.
The Falcons finished the year with a 12-8 conference record and defeated the Georgian Grizzlies 3-2 to qualify for the championship. You have to go way back in the record books to find the last time Fanshawe won a medal at the championship, as they won gold in 1972.
For more information on the 2010 OCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship, please contact Bob Piche at the Cambrian College Athletic Department at (705) 566-8101 ext. 7450.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Game #1 - 1 p.m. – Nipissing Lakers vs. Sheridan Bruins
Game #2 - 3 p.m. – Durham Lords vs. Fanshawe Falcons
Game #3 - 5 p.m. – Mohawk Mountaineers vs. Trent Excalibur
Game #4 - 7 p.m. – Cambrian Golden Shield vs. Humber Hawks
Friday, February 26, 2010
Game #5 - 1 p.m. – Bronze Medal Quarter Finals
Game #6 - 3 p.m. – Bronze Medal Quarter Finals
Game #7 - 5 p.m. – Semi Finals
Game #8 - 7 p.m. – Semi Finals
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Bronze Semi Finals
Bronze Semi Final #1 - 9 a.m.
Bronze Semi Final #2 - 11 a.m.
Medal Round
Bronze Medal Game - 2 p.m.*
Gold Medal Game - 4 p.m.*
*Medal and Award Presentations will follow each game.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE DURHAM LORDS
Overall: Record: 20-5
Conference Record: 17-3
DURHAM LORDS ROSTER
1 - Roxanne Snellings (RS), Whitby
2 - Kayla BeHarriell (L), Ingersoll
5 - Mandi Doris (M), Ajax
6 - Samantha Roelofsen (OS), Alma
10 - Julie Hakkesteegt (M), Brighton
11 - Meghan Renwick (S), Brooklin
12 - Jessica McNulty (M), Renfrew
13 - Kerri Fotherby (LS), Newcastle
14 - Laura Plahuta (RS), Dunsford
15 - Allison Doris (M), Ajax
17 - Natasha Jakovljevic (M), Oshawa
18 - Kourtney Cyr (L), Uxbridge
Head Coach: Shane Christopher
Assistant Coach: Jessica Jones
Associate Coach: Gerald Brunt
Manager: Jessie Clark
Therapist: Lindsey Knischewsky
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca