The eighth-seeded University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team dethroned the first-place Queen's Gaels in a dramatic five-set victory in the OUA quarter-finals on Friday (Feb. 21) night at the Queen's ARC in Kingston, Ont.

The Blues delivered an inspiring performance, winning the first two sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-20. Queen's rallied back in the third and fourth sets with wins of 15-25 and 26-28 before the Blues took command in the fifth set, 15-6, to advance in to the next round of the playoffs. Toronto will face the fourth-place McMaster Marauders in the OUA semifinal next weekend. The Marauders defeated the Waterloo Warriors in five sets on Friday night.

Tonight's win marks the first 1 vs. 8 upset in OUA quarter-final action since the 2011-12 season when the first-place York Lions were upset by the RMC Paladins. This is the Blues first playoff win since the 2021-22 season, when they went all the way to the Quigley Cup final. Previously, the Blues missed the playoffs in 2022-23 and lost in the quarter-final in 2023-24.

Toronto showcased their offensive and defensive prowess, tallying 57 kills with a .144 hitting percentage, while recording 87 digs and 10 total blocks on the defensive side of the ball. The Blues ability to stay composed in crucial moments proved to be the difference, especially in the decisive fifth set, where they dominated 15-6.

Julia Liu was unstoppable for the Blues, leading the team with 22 kills, followed closely by Julia Murmann with 16 and Olivia Zhu with 10. Liu tallied an impressive 24.5 points to go with 11 digs. Murmann's 19 points ranked second and she tied for the team lead with 21 digs. Anna Gadomski played a key role with five kills, 12 digs, and three service aces, while Robin Melnick contributed a crucial 38 assists and 14 digs. Delaney Watson anchored the defense with 21 digs, shutting down Queen's offensive threats.

Hannah Duchesneau led the Gaels with 18 kills and 11 digs, while Mary Stewart added 12 kills and 15 digs. Setter Kennedy Millin kept their offense flowing with 43 assists, but Queen's struggled in the final set against Toronto's relentless defense.

With this victory, the Blues advance to the OUA semifinals, where they will continue their postseason journey in search of a Quigley Cup. Toronto will visit the Marauders next weekend, with game time and date yet to be announced. The game will be streamed live via oua.tv