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Fourth-year left side hitter Charlotte Sider notched a season-high 18 points in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team to a 3-2 (17-25, 25-29, 25-18, 24-26, 15-11) victory over the No. 6 and first-place Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday night (Jan. 18) at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

The win improves the Blues to 10-3 as they remain in third place in the East. Toronto handed the Gee-Gees their second loss of the season in front of a packed crowd during UTSU's Winter Week of Welcome.

Sider (Ottawa) led all players with 15 kills, while adding seven digs and three aces on the night. Port Coquitlam, B.C., native Jennifer Neilson added 14 kills, eight digs and two aces, while rookie Tessa Davis had seven kills, six digs and three blocks. Julia Bellehumeur notched 23 assists and 15 digs in the victory.

"One of the things we're really trying to do is take care of the ball on our side of the net," said Varsity Blues head coach Krsitine Drakich. "It's how we manage ourselves. We competed really hard and didn't react poorly to being down. I'm really proud of how they competed and managed their own play."

Both teams traded points to start the first set until the Gee-Gees went on a 5-0 run to take a 10-5 lead. The Blues battled back with a couple of big kills from Sider, but Ottawa took a 16-11 lead into the technical time out. The Gee-Gees extended the gap and despite a late rally, Ottawa took the first set 25-17.

The second set started with a see-saw battle but the Blues gained the lead with a dominant 10-1 run and took a 16-8 lead at the technical time out. Ottawa closed the gap to five late in the set, but Toronto held on for the 25-19 win.

Radan and Neilson got the Blues out to a 9-3 lead in the third and Davis came up with some big kills, blocks and aces to give U of T a 16-10 lead at the time out. Some great serving from Chapin and more blocks from Davis gave the Blues the extra edge to win it 25-18.

Toronto got off to another good start in the fourth, leading 8-2 in the early goings, but Ottawa came back to even the score at 13-13. Toronto held a narrow 16-15 lead at the technical time out.  The Gee-Gees went on a 5-1 run,and despite the Blues evening it back up at 24-24, Ottawa forced the fifth set with a 26-24 victory.  

The Gee-Gees led 4-0 early in the fifth and took an 8-4 lead at the midway point of the frame; however, Toronto rallied, going on an 8-4 streak and took the last set 15-11.

Fourth-year veteran Myriam English led the Gee-Gees with 12 kills and eight digs, while Kayla Bell-Hammond added 10 kills in the loss. 

The Varsity Blues return to action next weekend (Jan. 25-26) as they host the Windsor Lancers and Western Mustangs during U of T's annual Think Pink week. Game time on both days is 2 p.m.

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