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Fourth-year outside hitter Jennifer Neilson notched a season-high 14 kills in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-21) OUA quarter-final victory over the Ryerson Rams on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 15) at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.
 
With the win, the Blues are now set to host the OUA Final Four, February 22-23, at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym. Toronto will take on the winner of tonight's OUA quarter-final match-up between the McMaster Marauders and Windsor Lancers in the first semi-final match on Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
Neilson (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) added four digs and one block to her game-high 14 kills. Fellow veteran Charlotte Sider (Ottawa) added 10 kills and nine digs, while rookie Tessa Davis (South Surrey, B.C.) had seven kills and two blocks. Malena Rapaport added 25 assists and five digs in the win.
 
The Blues got out to a 7-2 lead early in the first set and extended their lead with back-to-back kills from Sarah Chapin and Sider. A Neilson kill gave U of T a 16-9 lead at the technical time out. The Rams brought the game within three (19-16) with a serving ace from Chelsea Jensen, but Neilson took over from there, notching Toronto's last three points to take the first set 25-18.
 
The second set started as a see-saw battle, until a Neilson kill gave the Blues the momentum they needed (6-5). Caleigh Cruickshank took over, notching Toronto's next five points, while Chapin came up with three straight blocks to give the home team a 16-9 lead at the timeout. U of T went on a 5-2 run, only to be answered by a Ryerson 5-0 streak, but the Blues came out on top with a final kill from Davis to take it 25-17.
 
Ryerson got out to a 5-0 lead early in the third, but Toronto answered the call, going on a 7-2 run to regain the lead.  A Sider kill and ace gave the Blues a 16-13 lead at the technical timeout. The Rams battled back once again and evened the score at 17-17 with a big block from Emly Betteridge and Chelsea Briscoe, but U of T held out with a couple of big blocks and a final kill from Sider to take the third 25-21.
 
Kristina Vleck and Emily Nicholishen led the Rams with five kills each, while Emily Betteridge notched 22 assists and six digs in the loss. 

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