Lady Lakers finish fourth in Florida

The Nipissing Lady Lakers volleyball team returned home with a respectable fourth place finish at the 7th annual Innisbrook Resort Collegiate Volleyball Invitational Tournament in Palm Harbor, Florida, December 28 – 31, 2011.The Lady Lakers started off playing some strong volleyball and, although the team dropped a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-18)  decision to York University, coach Marc LaRochelle was happy with his team’s effort.
“York is the top team in the OUA and they are very consistent in their execution. I thought we played very well for long stretches in this match but just made a few more mistakes down the stretch that led to some runs late in the first two sets,” he said.
The Lady Lakers second match was against a familiar foe in their West Division rivals, the Humber Hawks, and for the first time this season the Lady Lakers came out on top with a 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23) victory.
In their final game of round robin play, the Lady Lakers dropped a close 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-19, 24-26, 15-12) decision to the host McMaster Marauders.
The playoffs would see a rematch, as the Lakers and Marauders would play for bronze. As in the first match, the teams battled back and forth, but when the dust settled, McMaster would prevail 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-25, 15-7) to claim the bronze medal.
“We had our chances against McMaster,” said LaRochelle. “The difference in these competitive matches is a team’s ability to maintain execution and focus for every point during the entire match. We made some unforced errors at crucial times that proved costly; however, overall I am very pleased with the effort.
“I think we learned some valuable lessons about what we can accomplish when we are focused and driven. Overall this was a very beneficial tournament and we look forward to the second half of the season,” added LaRochelle.
Third-year middle player Jacquie Dyball was named a tournament all star.
The final tournament standings are as follows: 1. York, 2. Manitoba, 3. McMaster, 4. Nipissing, 5. Humber, 6. Moncton
The Lakers return to action January 21 and 22 when they host Redeemer and Humber.
The Lady Lakers will also be hosting the 19th annual Lakers Volleyball Classic Sr. Girls Tournament, January 13/14, 2012, at the Surtees Gym. Twenty-four teams from across the province will compete for the coveted tournament title. The championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 14.