Shannon Rossall tallied 10 digs, 12 kills and seven blocks to lead the Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team to a 3-1 (22-25, 25-12, 25-19, 25-23) victory over the Ryerson Rams in their fourth annual Cheer Blue, Think Pink game on Saturday, January 15 at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

With the win, the Blues improve to 5-8 and sit in fourth place, while the Rams drop to 1-11 in the OUA East division.

Alexandra Hudson recorded a team-high 11 kills and 15 digs, while Sarah Chapin had nine kills and eight digs. Lauren Ebenhardt and Katrina Rossall each added 15 digs in the win.

The first set was the closest of the match. The Blues managed to keep the Rams at bay and gain the lead after the first technical, but not for long as Jana Champagne of St.Paul, Alta responded for the Rams, tying the game at 12. From then on it was a tug of war, each team gaining only a short advantage before the other responded. Calgary native Shannon Rossall fought hard for the Blues continually keep the Blues in it and dragging out the play. Ultimately, however, Jessica Broad of Courtice, Ont. took the set 25-22 with a two final kills for the Rams.

The Blues garnered the first three points of the second, but Haley Wolfenden of Ottawa quickly answered back with a sharp kill and an ace. Katrina Rossall pulled through for Toronto with a three-point streak and brought lead up to four points, 8-4 coming into the first technical. From there, the Blues continued to advance, with kills coming from rookie Arissa Fogolin of Caledon, Ont., veteran Karlee Diesing of Coquitlam, B.C. and Shannon Rossall. By the second technical the Blues were up 17-8 and they continued on with the same momentum for a 25-12 win.

Shannon Rossall started off the third with a kill followed by an ace from Diesing. Eager to stay in the game, the Rams pulled together and managed to keep pace with the Blues, nearly tying the score at 9-8. The Blues finally regained their stride with kills from the Rossalls, Deising, and Hudson for a game-high lead of 22-11. The Rams had a brief comeback near the end, but it wasn’t enough as the Blues took the set 25-19.

The Blues faltered a little coming into the fourth, allowing the Rams to take an early lead, but the home team quickly regrouped and evened the score again. The play remained tight, with the Rams unwilling to let the Blues get too far ahead. Hudson and Chapin of Georgetown, Ont. fought hard throughout, repeatedly evening the score. The Blues won the set point with a final kill from Shannon Rossall, taking the match 25-23.

Ryerson was led by Jessica Broad’s 17-kill and 10-dig performance. Champagne added six kills and 19 digs in the loss.

The Varsity Blues return to action tomorrow afternoon as they travel north to take on the York Lions. Opening serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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