By Peter Ash
After a commanding victory over the Western Mustangs on Friday, the Ryerson Rams were back at it again on Saturday night, sweeping the Toronto Varsity Blues to remain undefeated in OUA play this season.
The Rams were led by outside hitter Janelle Albert, who racked up a total of nine kills in the contest. Albert’s biggest plays came during long rallies, a style of play she prefers during competitive games.
“I thought the [long rallies] were fun,” Albert said after the game at Coca-Cola Court. “I mean, it was exhausting, but it was still very fun. It’s something that we practice every day, so it’s good to see it pay off in tough games.”
Despite their 6-2 record heading into the game, the Blues were sloppy in their approach, allowing the Rams to make their presence felt early.
A healthy dose of unforced errors from the road team also helped the Rams take control of the first set, forcing the Varsity Blues to commit a total of 10 errors in the frame.
“I expected the [Varsity Blues] to come out with more energy than they did, but in the end, it all comes down to what we do as a team,” Albert said.
Despite a more efficient attack by the Blues in the second set, the Rams continued to display their dominance, with Albert leading the way with three kills in the set.
Ryerson was also very efficient offensively, adding to their OUA-leading 29 per cent hitting percentage with a 30 per cent performance to take the second set 25-14.
As good as things were for the Rams in the first and second sets, things started to get interesting in the third. The Blues took their first ever lead in the match, utilizing a quick kill approach to temporarily disorient Ryerson’s stingy defence.
Unfortunately for the Blues, the Rams soon figured things out and got back on track, scoring 10 of the next 16 points to take a commanding 20-14 lead. The Blues tried to turn it on again, but it ended up being too little too late, as the Rams closed the match out within the next nine rallies.
Rams head coach Dustin Reid credited his squad’s ability to make plays when they were needed.
“Obviously, we didn’t play our best game tonight,” Reid said. “But, I was really impressed with how they were able to step up when it was time. It’s important to try to win the rallies that you’re in, and I thought we did just enough of that [tonight].”
Ryerson’s record now stands at a perfect 10-0 mark, good enough for top spot in both the OUA East division and the entire league. With 30 points on the season, the Rams are 10 points ahead of the Blues and the Queen’s Gaels, teams with matching 6-3 records.
UP NEXT: The Rams will look to continue to build on their undefeated record, when they take on the 6-2 York Lions on Jan. 20. Game-time is scheduled at 6 p.m.
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