Kajan Thiruthanikasalam (Sports Writer, Colts Athletics)

SCARBOROUGH, ONT.- Although the Centennial Colts (13-3) managed to beat the Canadore Panthers (6-11) in what was the team's final regular season home game, head coach Matthew Cheung was not happy with how the game played out.

"This game is a sign that you shouldn't take any team lightly but that shouldn't be a message that we have to say," Cheung said. "Give them (Canadore) credit (because) they did a lot of good things but it was not a very good game on our part. Hopefully, we can learn from this lesson that if we're going to play like this at provincials, we're not going anywhere."

Centennial took four sets (25-15, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22) to dispatch Canadore at the Athletic and Wellness Centre. The Colts easily outpaced the Panthers in aces (21-9), assists (45-14), digs (76-54), and kills (51-18) despite committing more attack errors (26-8).

Mari Pikkov led three players who scored in double figures with 19 points on 15 kills and four aces. Emily Joe had 17 points, also on 15 kills and had two aces while Heather Sanchez had 12 on four kills and a game high eight aces.

"We have to be able to serve aggressive but we have to be able to serve well in the court," Cheung said, referring to the team's 12 service errors.

Kadeisha Powell-Graham had a game high 20 digs while Nadjema Soro dished out a game high 37 assists.

Morgan McDonnell and Katie Albert each had six points for Canadore in defeat.

The first set saw the Colts sprint right out of the gate as Pikkov had two kills and two aces to start off, part of five straight points from Centennial to begin the set. Back to back aces from Sanchez gave Centennial their largest lead of the set (19-7) and they glided to an easy set win by the score of 25-15. Pikkov had five kills during the set and the Colts had eight aces during the first set (Joe, Pikkov, Sanchez and Soro each had two.)

"The first set was fine," Cheung said. "We were more ready to play (during that set)."

It looked like the home team was going to take control early in the second set as another ace from Sanchez forced a Canadore timeout, as Centennial was up 6-2. However, errors haunted the Colts for the middle part of the set as the Panthers went on an 18-5 run, with streaks of five and six straight points during that span, as they went up 20-11 and Centennial burned both of their timeouts in the set in that process.

The Colts then responded with seven straight points and eventually cut the lead to one (23-22) but the deficit was ultimately too much to overcome as the Panthers scored the next two points en route to winning the second set, 25-22, and evening up the match. 

The third set saw Centennial take a slight 13-11 lead after a kill from Pikkov but six straight points from Canadore gave them a 17-13 lead, capped off by consecutive aces from Samantha Grainer. The Panthers were in prime position to take the lead in the match, up 22-20 late, but the Colts closed the set out on a 5-0 run, capped off by an ace from Chow as they took the third set, 25-22.

After both teams traded a point to start off the third set, Canadore went on a 7-0 run as Centennial had to call a timeout to regroup, down 8-1. The Colts then responded on a 6-0 run after the timeout but could not take the lead until another 6-0 run late in the set gave them a 22-18 lead. Four straight errors (three AE, one set error), however, tied the set up at 22. 

However, despite committing nine attack errrors and four service errors during the set, Centennial closed out the set, scoring three straight to win the fourth set, 25-22, and the match. Cheung says that the effort needs to be better on the road Sunday afternoon against Fleming.

"Everyone's got to be ready to play," Cheung said.

SENIORS NIGHT

As part of a pregame ceremony, the Centennial Colts athletics department honoured three graduating student-athletes and presented them with flowers.

Lizzie Bowers (Massage Therapy), Pikkov (Fashion Business Management) and Powell-Graham (Public Relations and Management) stuck through the trials and tribulations of the Centennial volleyball program, including their first season (2015-16) in which the team finished 3-17.

The Colts then went 10-8 last year in their second season before losing to the Fanshawe Falcons in a crossover playoff matchup but have now played vital roles and provided mentorship to a Centennial team that has its longest winning streak of the program and is second in the OCAA East as they prepare to host provincials.

"Those three are the more dedicated athletes that we have in our program, even in the short time," Cheung said.