Colts Can't Hold On in Defeat to Panthers

Heather Sanchez and Emily Joe go sky high for the block during game action at the Athletic and Wellness Centre between the Colts and the Panthers. (Nicole Ventura/Colts Media)
Heather Sanchez and Emily Joe go sky high for the block during game action at the Athletic and Wellness Centre between the Colts and the Panthers. (Nicole Ventura/Colts Media)

By: Teru Ikeda and Kajan Thiruthanikasalam

SCARBOROUGH, ONT. - After a two game road trip and not playing a home game in almost three weeks, the Centennial Colts faced off at home against the undefeated Canadore Panthers on Remembrance Day. For stretches of the match, the Colts got whatever they wanted on both ends of the court.

But their inability to stop Canadore's lengthy runs proved to be their downfall as the Colts (2-2) fell to the Panthers (6-0) in five sets (25-22, 20-25, 25-19, 17-25, 9-15) at the Athletic and Wellness Centre.

 

LEADING SCORERS

Jess Vanhuizen led Canadore and all scorers, for that matter, with 20 points on 18 kills while Ashlyn Kadlecik led all players with 37 assists and 17 digs.

Heather Sanchez led Centennial with 19 points on 16 kills and three aces while Emily Joe scored 15 on 10 kills, four aces, and a block. Meilin Carmichael scored 11 in three sets before leaving the game with a lower body injury.

Nadjema Soro led the Colts with five aces, 13 digs, and dished out 27 assists in the loss.

 

NOTABLE STATS

Centennial had the edge in blocks (5-3) and aces (15-11) but Canadore outpaced the Colts in kills (48-42) and digs (68-62). Both teams each dished out 39 assists.

 

GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY

Joe had four points in the first set as Centennial was up by as many as six points before eventually taking the first set, 25-22. Soro had three aces while Sanchez had three points during that set as well.

In the second set, Vanhuizen left her mark, with six kills as Canadore took the second set, 25-20, and tied up the match. Carmichael had three kills and an ace during the set.

Joe had three kills and two aces as she left her imprint during the third set. Carmichael had four kills as Centennial thoroughly dominated the third set by a score of 25-19.

The Colts started off strong, going up 10-4 after a block from Soro but the Panthers came storming back on the strength of eight consecutive points and took the fourth set, 25-17, despite five kills from Sanchez in the set.

In the fifth set, a kill from Joe seemingly gave Centennial an insurmountable 7-2 lead. But the Panthers closed out the match on a 13-2 run, stealing a victory on the road and leaving the home crowd in stunned silence.

 

CATCH OUR NEXT GAME

Centennial next plays on Thursday at 6:00pm at the Athletic and Wellness Centre against the George Brown Huskies.