Royals Make Quick Work of Bruins to Open Second Semester
OAKVILLE, ON - Redeemer Women's Volleyball opened the second half of the season in impressive fashion on Friday night, sweeping the Sheridan Bruins 3–0 on the road in their first match back from the holiday break.
Entering the contest with a 5–3 record, the Royals found themselves in seventh place in an incredibly tight OCAA West standings. Despite that positioning, Redeemer was just one match out of third place. As the season winds down, a top finish in the West division will provide a favourable position entering the playoffs.
Redeemer came out sharp in the opening set, building an early lead and setting the tone offensively. Sheridan responded with a strong push late, erasing the deficit and forcing extra points. In a tense finish, the Royals stayed composed and edged out the Bruins 26–24 to claim the opening set.
The second set continued to be a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading runs. Kate De Jong provided a spark for Redeemer, creating early separation with back-to-back service aces. The Royals capitalized on that momentum, playing clean and controlled volleyball down the stretch to secure the second set and take a 2–0 lead in the match.
Sheridan struck first in the third set, jumping out to a 5–1 advantage. Redeemer answered quickly, with
Claire Heide igniting a rally from the service line. The Royals surged ahead 8–5, forcing a Bruins timeout, and never looked back. Maintaining steady pressure throughout the set, Redeemer extended the lead late and closed out the match with a decisive 25–15 third-set win.
With the sweep, the Royals improve to 6–3 on the season and move into a tie for third place in the OCAA West, underscoring just how competitive the conference remains. Redeemer will look to build on the momentum from a strong road performance as the playoff race continues to tighten.
The Royals are back in action next weekend as they make their first-ever trip to Sault College to face the Cougars. Sault College women's volleyball joined the OCAA this season and currently hunts for its first win. The Royals will play the Cougars twice on the road next week.
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