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Rams outside hitter Lauren Veltman goes up for a kill against Queen's.
Photo by Hung Le
3
Winner Queens Gaels QUE 12-7
2
Ryerson Rams Women RYE 16-3
Winner
Queens Gaels QUE
12-7
3
Final
2
Ryerson Rams Women RYE
16-3
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Queens Gaels QUE 25 25 15 14 15 (3)
Ryerson Rams Women RYE 23 14 25 25 13 (2)

Game Recap: Volleyball (W) | | Jessica Pincente

Rams comeback efforts fall two points short in loss to Gaels

TORONTO — The Ryerson Rams' valiant comeback attempt fell just two points short in a 3-2 (23-25, 14-25, 25-15, 25-14, 13-15) loss to the Queen's Gaels to wrap up the regular season on Sunday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. 

Ryerson's Brett Hagarty (Aurora, Ont.), the team's only senior, totalled 13 digs and ten kills in her last regular season match in the blue and gold. 

Queen's dominant play in the first set helped set the tone for the remainder of the match. The Rams struggled to attack and fell behind 10-4 early on, but brought the set back within reach to tie the score at 11. The Gaels continued to press and pulled ahead 23-19; a valiant comeback effort by the Rams was soon laid to rest as Ryerson dropped the first set 25-23. 

The second saw Queen's pull ahead early yet again as the Rams again struggled to set up and finish their kills. The Gaels continued to dominate and earned a 25-14 win in the set to pull ahead 2-0, with Ryerson tallying just six kills and four errors on 24 attempts in the second. Rams outside hitter Lauren Veltman (Brampton, Ont.) totalled seven kills through the opening two sets.

It was almost as though a switch flipped in the third set, as the Rams played their best volleyball in the match thus far. Ryerson led 16-13 after the technical and gave away just five points after, earning a 25-15 win in the third to pull within one.

Another dominant set for the Rams set the team up for a decisive fifth and final frame. The team controlled the ball at the net and on all ends of the court, pulling ahead with their best result yet: a 25-14 win in the fourth to tie the match at two. Veltman, the team leader with 12 kills through four frames, credits the results of the third and fourth set to Hagarty's leadership and demeanour. 

"Brett came in after the second and said this is a game we can win," says Veltman. "She reminded us that we have more grit and more resilience than this. She boosted our team's confidence and helped us out a lot today."

The fifth set brought stellar play on both sides of the net, as the teams found themselves tied at 13 after numerous long rallies and momentum swings. A serving error and attacking error decided the game for Queen's in the dying moment of the match, as the Gaels took the fifth 15-13 and the match 3-2. 

"Queen's came out with a lot of energy and a lot of serving pressure, and we were just average," says Rams head coach Dustin Reid on the team's play. "When they played well, we didn't have a great response." 

Veltman finished the game with a team-leading 15 kills. Kate Grasman (Komoka, Ont.) led the Rams with four service aces and six total blocks, while rookie Jasmine Rivest (Montreal, Que.) collected nine kills, five digs and four blocks in the match. Setter Lauren Wong (Scarborough, Ont.) totalled 33 kills through five sets. 

The game also marked the team's Senior Day celebration in honour of Hagarty's meaningful career at Ryerson. She says the loss was tough but the team is ready to move forward into the playoffs stronger than ever. 

"What that game showed us is that we have so many people who contribute and a really strong bench," says Hagarty. "That's great for us going into playoffs … We're all really fired up, and I want to take home some banners." 

The Rams will take the week to prepare for postseason competition before hosting the Guelph Gryphons next Saturday on the Coca-Cola Court in the OUA quarter-final.
 
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