Veterans Heather Bansley, Diane Burrows and Kristina Valjas led the Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team as they swept the visiting Ryerson Rams 3-0 on the second annual Think Pink weekend game on Saturday, November 29 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
Toronto has not lost a set to the Rams since February 1, 2006.
Fourth-year players Bansley (Waterdown, Ont.) and Valjas (Toronto, Ont.) tallied 14 and 13 kills respectively and each added nine digs in the three games, while Burrows knocked down 10 kills and had eight digs. Bansley currently leads the OUA and is ranked second in the country averaging 5.62 points per game.
The Blues dominated the Rams for most the afternoon, setting up 123 total attacks to the Rams 85. The visitors had a tough time gaining any momentum with several unforced errors and untimely miscues.
Vancouver native Kathleen Mahannah and third-year veteran Dana Collins (Sudbury, Ont.) split setting duties this afternoon. Mahannah recorded 18 assists, while Collins dished out a game-high 24 helpers. Michelle Wood (Toronto) had a game-high 15 digs.
Leah Saar’s (Ajax, Ont.) seven kills led all Rams players; she also had nine digs, while Lindsay Franco (Oakville, Ont.) added six kills and seven digs. Leftside hitter Chelsea Blackall pulled in a team-high 14 digs for Ryerson.
With the OUA regular season on hiatus for the winter break, the Varsity Blues do not return to the court until January 2, 2009 as they host a weekend of exhibition games in the Sports Gym.
Toronto will face the Winnipeg Wesmen on Friday, Jan. 2nd at 4 p.m., the York Lions on Saturday at 4 p.m. and the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Sunday, Jan. 4th at 1 p.m.
For more information on the women’s volleyball team, please visit www.varsityblues.ca.
Notes:
The Blues have won four out of their last five regular season games…Today’s game was the second annual Think Pink game as part of the Varsity Blues Think Pink weekend…money raised from bake sales, raffles and t-shirt sales will be donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation on behalf of the Varsity Blues program….The NEW Junior Blues dance team performed a special Think Pink routine in between the second and third games.
