OAKVILLE, Ont. (By Kevin John Sacdalan) - The Sheridan Bruins women's volleyball team (6-7 OCAA) came away with an even 1-1 record over the weekend, splitting their games against Cambrian (4-9 OCAA) and Boreal (0-13 OCAA).
The Lady Bruins fell behind early in their match with Cambrian, trailing the entire first set and dropping the set, 25-18.
Things got worse for the Bruins in the opening point of the following set with outside hitter, Tamia Cooper-Evelyn, going down with an ankle injury.
Manuela Alvarez Gonzalez and Sydney Romans were also out with concussions, so the Bruins had to find a way to battle without three of their key players.
"We can make all the excuses we want for injuries, but we're supposed to have depth and come in and perform," head coach Scott Hunt said.
The Bruins held a 19-14 lead in the second set, forcing Cambrian head coach, Dale Beausoleil, to call a timeout. His Cambrian team regrouped and responded with an 11-2 run to steal the second set, 25-21.
Down two sets, the Bruins kept their hopes alive with a strong showing in the third set, winning it 25-17. However, their comeback was spoiled in the fourth set with Cambrian winning it, 25-22.
"Cambrian has improved for one, so you have to give them credit for improving their play," Hunt said. "Secondly, we definitely played a lot worse than the last time we played them, so our execution dropped and theirs picked up, which equals a win for them (Cambrian)."
It was a short turnaround time for the Lady Bruins as they had Boreal coming in the next day.
The Double-Blue looked much better in their second match of this back-to-back, defeating Boreal in straight sets, 25-10, 25-11, and 25-7.
This win snaps their three-game losing streak this month, taking losses from Redeemer, Humber, and Cambrian.
"It's a big win to get us back in the mix, but I think it's more important for our confidence to get us believing in ourselves that we have a shot to get in the playoffs," Hunt said following their win.
The Lady Bruins now sit in sixth place in the OCAA Western Conference, putting them two points behind the fourth placed Fanshawe Falcons.
These two teams will meet for the second time this season on Thursday.