The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team edged out the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a thrilling five-set match at Montpetit Hall in Ottawa, Ont. on Saturday, Jan. 18. Toronto claimed victory with set scores of 25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 19-25, and 15-7.

The Blues stormed out of the gate from the first serve, taking the first two sets. Ottawa refused to go down without a fight, winning the next two sets, including a nail-biting third set that went to extra points, to force a fifth set. Toronto found their groove again in the final set to come away with their fifth win of the season.

Julia Liu led the Blues with a match-high 18 kills and an impressive .293 hitting percentage. Liu added three service aces to earn 23 points overall. Anna Gadomski also had an impactful afternoon, delivering 12 kills at a stellar .688 clip and adding 15.5 points. Julia Murmann was instrumental with 16 kills and 17.5 points.

Anna Arellano orchestrated U of T's attack, recording 41 assists, while Delaney Watson anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs. Thea Ziesmann played a crucial role as she tallied five aces.

Audrey Odigie led the Gee-Gees offense, picking up 19 kills and 21 points. Nicole Hildebrand added 13 kills, with setter Maxim Langevin contributing 27 assists. Despite a strong performance in sets three and four, Ottawa could not match Toronto's intensity in the deciding frame.

The Blues resilience was evident in their fifth-set dominance, where they surged to a commanding 15-7 finish, highlighted by clutch plays by Gadomski and Murmann.

U of T continues their road stretch with a stop in Waterloo, Ont. next weekend as they face off against the Waterloo Warriors on Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. The action can be streamed on oua.tv.