Rams drop season opener in tight straight set loss to Gaels

KINGSTON, Ont. – The Rams women’s volleyball team fell 3-0 (22-25, 22-25, 23-25) to the Queen’s Gaels in their opening game of the season.

The Friday night match in the Gaels’ home opener began with the Rams leading 8-4, with a pair of Mikayla Sherriffs spikes giving the Rams the four-point lead. The Gaels, led by fourth year outside hitter Arielle Palermo, stormed back to go ahead 16-14 at the technical timeout and kept the tight lead for the remainder of the set as the Gaels took the first, 25-22.

The second set saw the Rams once again win the first two points, but the Gaels mirrored their first set outcome by leading the midway point of the set 16-14. Palermo, the most dominant player on the court in this affair, continued to make her presence felt with a series of impressive hitting and smart plays. 

With the Gaels being up 24-19 in the second, the Rams rallied back and challenged Queens making it 24-22 thanks to strong front court play by outside hitter Cailin Wark, but came up short, dropping the second 25-22. Despite the eight ties in the set, the Rams never regained the lead after being up 2-1. 

The third set saw the Rams lead most of the way with their biggest lead, 16-12, arriving as they entered into the technical timeout. Still holding onto the lead at 20-18, the Rams fell victim to a strong Queen’s defence to offence transition, often finishing with the force of outside hitter Hannah Duchesneau as she led the Gaels back to a 22-20 lead.

With the Rams bringing the score back to 23-23, the Gaels once again pulled away to grab a 25-23 third set victory. 

Despite the loss, the young Rams team showcased an encouraging performance, with libero Mary Ann Rioflorio, outside hitters Zoe Kuck, Adyson Wilson and Kylie Ferguson all making their OUA debuts. The Rams also saw setter Alicia Lam start the game, with her making her first OUA appearance since 2018. 

The Rams will be back on Saturday for a rematch against the Gaels at the Queen’s Athletics & Recreation Centre at 2:30 p.m.