The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team will look for their first OUA title since 2004 at the Final Four championship, February 26-27, hosted by the McMaster Marauders in Hamilton, Ont.

The Blues will face the Western Mustangs in OUA semi-final action on Friday night at 8 p.m. Toronto defeated Western 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 27-25, 25-18) in their lone regular season meeting on Oct. 25. The game will be a rematch of last year’s bronze-medal contest, which the Mustangs took in a five-set thriller. 

The Marauders, who are the OUA’s only nationally-ranked team at No. 10, finished on top of the regular season standings with a 16-3 record. McMaster will host the Queen’s Gaels (13-6) in Friday’s first OUA semifinal, scheduled for 6 p.m.

The OUA champion will compete at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) women’s volleyball championship hosted by the University of Alberta in Edmonton from March 5-7.

All games will be webcast live through www.ssncanada.ca.

Varsity Blues head coach Kristine Drakich will make her 21st appearance in as many years at the OUA Final Four weekend. During Drakich’s reign, Toronto has won six OUA banners, including four in a row from 2001-04.

After a 5-4 start the season, U of T came back after the December break to win nine of their last 10 regular season contests and finished the season in first place in the OUA East division with a 14-5 record.

Named the OUA’s Pizza Pizza team of the month in January, Toronto kept their streak alive last weekend with a 3-0 shutout of the Ottawa Gee-Gees in quarter-final action to earn a berth to the semi-final round.

2009-10 OUA first team all-star Heather Bansley of Waterdown, Ont. finished the season ranked first in points per game (5.17), kills per game (4.26) and serving aces per game (0.70). Both Karlee Diesing (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Toronto native Kristina Valjas were instrumental in Toronto’s success after the December break and were awarded with OUA all-star nods for their efforts. Diesing finished the season averaging 3.41 points per game, while Valjas had 3.83 points per game.

Fifth-year setter Kathleen Mahannah (North Vancouver, B.C.) ranked third among OUA setters with 9.80 assists per game and earned her career 2000th in the quarter-final victory over the Gee-Gees last Friday.

This season’s OUA East libero of the year, Michelle Wood was tied for fourth in the province, averaging 4.06 digs per game. The Blues lost a league-low 19 sets, with Wood's defensive prowess being a major factor.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.