By Mitchell Fox
The Rams women’s volleyball team won in straight sets (25-14, 25-10, 25-9) against the Royal Military College (RMC) Paladins Saturday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The Rams came into senior night having won their last two matches in straight sets and they kept the momentum going with another big win.
Despite slow starts in the first two sets, the Rams managed to put together an emphatic win, grabbing their third straight-sets victory in a row.
To Rams players Katelyn Grasman and Samantha Cyrille, the last week has been meaningful for the team.
“I think it just kind of released a lot of pressure and allowed us to show our personalities and just kind of get back to why we love volleyball,” Grasman said.
“I think we really showed that we were a team that should have been in playoffs,” Cyrille said. “But I think we left it with a note that means we mean business…so I think that’s a good place for us to leave it and that to me is the fun part.”
The story of the night however, had nothing to do with the game. The team was celebrating senior night, an opportunity to honour the careers of players who are moving on from the program.
Rams coach Dustin Reid said it was nice for the team to be able to play at a “really high level” against a determined opponent.
“You know, a day like this, you want to play and let your energy and your enjoyment and your level of performance honour the people who are leaving,” said Reid. “I think we did that.”
Cyrille said she felt a lot of support from not just her team, but other teams, as she came back from injury this season.
“I felt a lot of different teams and staff behind me and allowed me to come back. So I just really felt like I was part of a family,” Cyrille said. “It’s very cliche, but I found a family here. And it’s sad to leave it.”
Grasman said she had a great support system around her throughout her years as a Ram.
“The girls on my team are my best friends, and I can’t imagine doing life without them the past four years,” Grasman said. “I’m crying because I just love them so much and it’s hard to envision moving on.”
Reid said the senior players have played an integral role for the team in what has been a difficult season.
“We’ve had a lot of misfortune and a lot of frustration and they’ve kept things positive and been really amazing leaders through this process,” he said. “And the fact that they were doing that as players who’d had a ton of success in their careers and then [facing] a tough year like this really says a lot about who they are.”
The Rams had all of their dressed senior players on the court to end the game, moving seniors Alicia Lam and Lauren Wong to different positions. Reid said the decision was built off the suggestion of fellow senior Cailyn Wark, who was not in the game.
“[Wong] got in there like you would expect to just go in and try an impossible one-handed set when she hasn’t set for two months. You know, classic Lauren Wong,” he said.
The importance of the match was evident in the reactions of the crowd all night long.
“Obviously my actual family was here, which is really nice. They got to see me play when I probably wasn’t ever gonna play again,” said Cyrille. “And then the family that I made living downtown in first-year when I didn’t have my family around, those guys supported me through everything.”
UP NEXT: The Rams head into the offseason riding a three-game winning streak and will look to pick things up again in the fall.
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