FISU Summer for Women's Volleyball

Well I just arrived back from an amazing summer experience as a member of Team Canada's coaching staff for the National "B" Team Squad that competed at the 26th Summer Universiade Games held in Shenzhen, China. To tell you that the whole experience was awesome would probably sell so much of the summer short. But it was awesome and so much more.

I feel like everyday I learned something - whether it was about volleyball, about myself or about the characters of others around me I constantly felt like I had to be in a state of high awareness just to catch everything.

There were some really cool concepts that the Head Coach Alain Pelletier introduced that I will definately bring back to my program. Particularly looking at a having a young squad this season, I think the concepts we introduced to the team this summer may help us have less errors in crucial situations.

The other Assistant Coach Lee Carter has some great concepts around leadership that I have decided to introduce here as well. He has done some great work around team leadership with his university squad and he brought that forward to this team.

Me, well I became fondly known as "Big Momma" to the girls. It became my job to help bridge the gap between the coaching staff and the athletes. The girls talked, I listened then I sat down with the rest of the coaching staff to discuss. Regardless of what came out of our coaches meetings the girls all felt heard and respected and I believe that as a coaching staff we were ultimately pretty responsive.

Last but definately not least was our team therapist she kept us moving and ticking from day to day. Not to mention she was the most awesome roommate you could have when you are sharing a room in Thailand or China. I don't honestly know what I would have done without her there and I know without question the girls couldn't have survived the trip without her TLC.

From the start we got along as a coaching staff. There was no jockeying for position. We each knew how important our role was in making this team tick and accomplishing our goals for the summer. We each had the opportunity to voice our opinions and we had each other's backs forming a solid and cohesive coaching staff. Without question working with each of these individuals was an honour and so much fun.

So how did we do at the games? Well we finished in 11th place. But don't let the placing fool you. We were statistically one of the three youngest squads at the event and finished the highest of those squads. Several of the countries were using the FISU games as a preparation for 2012 Olympic qualifiers being held this fall and had sent their "A" teams in preparation.

For the top six teams in the tournament the vast majority of their squads were filled with the players that would make up their 2016 Olympic squads supported by one or two bench players for the 2012 Olympics. So 11th is pretty respectable and it qualifies us for the next FISU Games to be held in Russia.

I didn't get to see the girls play as much as I would have liked. As the third assistant my role was to scout other teams - which often meant being at a different venue while the team played. I always had the girls close in my heart though and one time called them towards the end of the fourth set vs. Sweden to see how we were doing. It was funny because I started to ask our interpreter how we were doing and she handed the phone to Lee on the bench. He was in total shock I'm sure but handled it like a champion. Anyway we were down but found a way to come back and win that set. I'd like to think my phone call gave them that little boost they needed.

So here we are let me introduce you to Team Canada "B" Squad:

But the FISU Summer is now over and I'm back at Queen's ready for the new season. We have some great athletes coming in this fall and I'm super excited to see our progress over the season.

In addition we have some fantastic returning players - Becky Billings is coming back after a summer spent with the Beach National Team and competition at the FISU Games too. She had a great summer and I know what she brings back to our program will help us grow faster this year. There is also the play of both Natalie Gray and Anna Pedjase to look forward to this season and I have no fear that the rest of the squad will also step up and let their voices be heard. It's an exciting time for us as we said goodbye to veterans last season and now open up opportunties to others.

I also have some additional good news - Colleen Ogilvie will be joining Team Canada at the Full Time Training Centre this fall. She had a terrific tryout for the team in May but needed more training time to be match ready. So for now we bid farewell to Colleen and wish her all the best as she starts to live out her dream as a member of the national team squad.

It has been some amazing kind of year for Queen's women's volleyball, it's been some years since we have had a presence at the National Team level and out of this past season we had two tryout for the indoor squad and one on the beach.

So thanks for reading and next time I'll write about the top 5 things I learned from competing at FISU.

See you soon,

Joely Christian-Macfarlane

Head Coach, Women's Volleyball

Athletics and Recreation Centre

284 Earl St.

Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

613-533-6000 ext. 79190

Donate to Women's Volleyball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/w-volleyball

We appreciate your support.

Training Camp

Hello Gaels fans!

Tomorrow is the first step in the 2011 season with tryouts and fitness testing. Can't wait to see everyone!

Looking forward to updating the blog...

All the best,
Beth

One week in...

Well, we're a week into camp and the team is beginning to take shape. With a new-found focus on possession play, there has been a lot of learning that has taken place over the course of a week, and still much more to go. It's the simple things that will make us stronger, and if we continue to focus on quality first touches, passing and receiving, and communication, we will be a team that will not only challenge for titles year in and year out, but will also be enjoyable to watch!

Competition is fierce this year, with another quality recruiting class joining us at camp. This will undoubtedly add to the quality of our team this year, but more importantly to the quality of our program moving forward. It's a testament to the hard work players have put into off-season training, and the coaches into recruiting.

We have a few big tests coming up to see where our team is in comparison to quality opposition, with exhibition games against Cornell University on Thursday, McGill on Saturday and either U of T or Western on Sunday (Old Four). Our preseason play comes to an end on Saturday, September 7th against the University of Ottawa on Tindall Field here at Queen's University.

I hope all who follow my blog are well, and sincerely hope you continue to follow us this season!

Until next time...

Coach Gencarelli

Women's Hockey - 2010 - 2011 season re-cap

Hello!

So I've decided to try my hand as a blogger! I thought that it would be a good start for our supporters, alumnae, friends and family to know a little bit more about this past year’s team and why we’re so excited to get started in September, 2011!

First I’d like to give you a quick look back. Last season built on the success of the previous one, and ultimately became one of the best and most historic years in Queen’s women’s hockey history. The team went a respectable 15-8-4 in the regular season, good enough for 4th place in the tough OUA conference. However, the best was saved for last. The Gaels first beat #10 nationally ranked Windsor 2-1 in very tough double overtime game in the quarter finals. That gave the team a date with nemesis, reigning 7 time OUA champions and #2 nationally ranked Laurier. A pair of stunning 2-1 overtime victories later and the team was on to its first OUA championship final in five years!

The first game (against #7 nationally ranked Guelph) turned out to be one for the record books. Literally! The game was won by the Gaels, again 2-1, but this time in the 6th overtime period! That nine period marathon is now listed as the second longest hockey game in history and jerseys, sticks and pucks from that event are going to be displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Less than 48 hours later the teams were back at it again. This time Guelph got the jump and moved out to a 2-0 lead. However, the Gaels kept battling and brought the score to within one just before the end of the second period. A second goal half-way through the third period sent the team into yet another overtime. This time it was decided on a last second buzzer beater at the end of the first overtime and Queen’s had captured its first OUA championship in 32 years!

The OUA championship also secured a spot at the CIS national championship, another first for Queen’s women’s hockey. First up was defending champion and #3 nationally ranked Alberta. The Gaels continued their determined play and won another thriller, 2-1 in a shoot-out!

The next game was against #1 ranked McGill. Queen’s gave the Olympian-laden team all they could handle but ultimately fell short, losing 3-1.

That loss sent Queen’s to the bronze medal game against host and rival Laurier. In another close game, Queen’s earned the medal with a 1-0 win, scoring the winner with less than 2 minutes to go to cap off a magical and memorable season. Of note, McGill defeated St. FX in the championship game 5-2 to claim the national title.

On the ice, the team represented the school with energy, determination and excitement. They displayed remarkable character and never quit. Off the ice, the team was extremely close and it was clear that they savoured and loved every minute of it!

Without limiting the other accomplishments, some notable performances included:

- Kelsey Thomson finished second in the OUA in scoring and was a 1st team OUA all-star;
- Morgan McHaffie finished fifth in OUA scoring and was a 2nd team OUA all-star, Morgan also scored the goal to win the 9 period historic marathon game;
- Mel Dodd-Moher was in goal for every overtime win, including stopping over 65 shots in the 9 period marathon. Mel was also named the CIS championship tournament all-star goalie and named co-winner of the Performance of the Year award at the Queen’s Athletics Colour Awards ceremony;
- Kelsey Thomson and Becky Conroy each cracked the 100 point plateau in their careers, joining Liz Kench, who reached that mark last season; and

The team's success was further recognized when the OUA later honoured me as the Fox 40 male coach of the year.

The Gaels will look to continue the winning trend in 2011-2012. Despite the loss of some highly respected leaders, team-mates and friends, we are blessed to have key contributors to our playoff run returning, in addition to a strong incoming rookie class. However, eventhough there’s plenty of optimism for another great year, the league keeps getting better, and parity is now at an all-time high. I know that other teams have recruited well and are eager to show that they are ready to contest for a championship so we will need to be focused and prepared. There is no doubt that 2011-2012 will be another exciting season and I know that the coaching staff is looking forward to September!

I'll try to add some pictures over the next couple of weeks. Look for future posts where I'll discuss our exhibition plans, new uniforms, etc.

Until then, take care - I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Coach Matt Holmberg

A little over a month away...

How quickly time flies. Training camp is fast approaching, and the entire coaching staff is hard at work to ensure everything is in place for a successful and competitive camp. We've finalized our 2011 recruiting class with the commitment of attacking midfielder Peter Christidis. For those of you who missed his press release, you can view it at www.gogaelsgo.com/soccer-m. Joining him are the following individuals (from defense to attack):

Player Name	Position	Club Team
Ben Fenech	Centre Back	Glen Shields S.C. (ONT)
Marco D’Elia	Right Full Back	Glen Shields S.C. (ONT)
Mark Tanel	Centre Back	Woodbridge Strikers (ONT)
Robert Lannan	Left Full Back	Valley United (NS)
Mario Rotundo	Left Full Back	St. Michael’s College (ONT)
Jeremy Gemuend	Def. Centre Midfielder	Niagara United CSL (ONT)
Henry Bloeman	Def. Centre Midfielder	Wexford Heat (ONT)
Simon Bussiere	Centre Midfielder	Whitby (ONT)
Michael Campea	Winger	Sigma Academy (ONT)
Chris Barran	Winger	North Shore Selects (BC)

Also joining us in camp is Jeff Borges (Centre Midfielder) from Kingston, ON, entering his second year at Queen's. With 11 recruits, 1 second year student, and 19 returning players, we will have a total of 31 players at training camp, making for yet another competitive training environment.

To say that there is excitement in the air is an understatement. 37 days... and counting.

Until next time.

Coach Gencarelli

Women's Basketball - Update

Hi Folks,

Long overdue for this newsletter – so much happening, I have not had time to write about it.

Two key recruits have been added to our roster: Emma Stallwood and Jill Siemieniuk.

Jill, a member of the 2011 Alberta Provincial team, is a native of Calgary and stands 5-11 tall. A fierce competitor, Jill has developed a wide-range of skills, both in the paint and on the perimeter. A product of Western Canada High School (as is current player Sydney Kernahan), Jill is capable of handling the ball, shooting the 3 and posting up inside. Combined with her ability to crash the boards, she will be an instant asset to our program.

Emma hails from Hamilton, where she played at Westdale HS. At 5-11, Emma has great instincts around the hoop, using a long wing-span to grab rebounds. Also an accomplished 3-point shooter, she is capable of extending defenses, and then attacking hard off the dribble. Emma has demonstrated the ability to pick up and assimilate information quickly – something that will advance her game rapidly.

The OUA East/West All-Star game was last month in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. in conjunction with the OBA Championships. Three players from Queen’s were selected to play: Brittany Moore as a first-team All-Star, and Liz Boag & Gemma Bullard as members of the All-Rookie team. Unfortunately Britt was unable to make the game (away on vacation), but both Gemma and Liz played very well in a closely contested game. The West came away with a 4 point win before a good-sized crowd at RIM park.

Claire Meadows, having completed a season of video analysis with us, is off to the University of Victoria for the next two summers to complete her Master’s in Coaching. In addition to her schooling she will be gaining some valuable experience working out west during the CIS season. She is expected to return to the Gaels coaching staff for the 2012-13 season.

Former player, Sarah Barnes (2005-2008) will become the second Q’s player to work for Canada Basketball. (Erin McDiarmid, 1999-2004 spent many summers with Canada Basketball) Barnesy will be the manager for the U19 team that has qualified for the World Championships to be held in Chile in July.

We have added another home exhibition game (versus Concordia U) on Saturday, October 29^th, are still putting the final touches on a road trip into Northern New York State the following weekend, and plans for a “tropical” training camp post-Christmas are still in the works. Hope to have all of this finalized in the very near future.

That’s it for now.

Cheers,

Dave.
Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)

Recruits 2011

I am pleased to announce to the blogging world, our recruiting class (to date) for the 2011-12 season.

The most local of the athletes is Tyler Scheerhoorn, a 6'6" member of the Cobourg Breakers Volleyball Club and the OFSAA 'A' Quinte Christian High School. Scheerhoorn is a member of the Ontario Provincial Team and was recently recognized as the Ken Davies Memorial Awards winner by Ontario Volleyball. Scheerhoorn is enrolled in the Honours Physical Education program.

Joining Scheerhoorn in the middle will be 6'7" Scott Brunet of Calgary. Brunet has a long family tradition of coming to Queen's and is a great acquisition for the Gaels. A graduate of the Division 1 City Champion - Western Canada High High School and the Calgary Canuck Club, Brunet is a member of the Alberta Provincial Team and was recently named the Alan Taylor Award winner as the top male volleyball player in Calgary. Brunet will study Kinesiology.

Also from the west is 6'2" outside hitter and defensive stand-out, Matt Bonshor. A graduate of AAA Provincial (BC) Champion Semiahmoo High School in Surrey, British Columbia. Bonshor captained the Fraser Valley Volleyball Club team, which finished 4th at the 18U National Championships this year and he is also a leader in the the BC Provincial Team. Bonshor enters the honours Arts and Science program at Queen's.

Aaron Nusbaum, a graduate of Dr. G.W. Williams, will join the Gaels as an outside hitter as well. A member of the 18U National Champion Crush team, Aaron can play on either antenna. He and his partner Grant O'Gorman (high school) enter the 19U World Championships this summer in Croatia as both Canada #1 and the second seed in the event. Nusbaum will study Business/Economics

Rounding out the group is 6'5" lefty, Mike Tomlinson. A graduate of Stratford Central Secondary School, the Forest City Volleyball Club and the Ontario Provincial Team, Tomlinson was recently honoured as the top male athlete in Stratford. Tomlinson will study Engineering at Queen's.

As you can imagine, we are thrilled with the recruiting class! We were looking for both size and speed in the middle, ball control on the outside and a big banger for the rightside and that is exactly what we got!

With hosting the CIS National Championship in Men's Volleyball at Queen's - March 2-4, 2012 and a berth already secured, this is an exciting time to be a part of Men's Volleyball at Queen's and I am very grateful for the support our administration is providing us to make all this happen.

Women's Basketball - Update

Hi Folks,

Time for another update - lots of things going on at this time of year.

A series of Camps & Clinics have been set up again beginning as early as May 10^th.

Spring Clinics:
Elite Skills Clinic (for serious high school girls)
Tuesdays 7:00 - 9:00pm (May 10 - June 21) (7wks)

Elite Shooting Clinic (for serious high school girls)
Thursdays 7:00-9:00pm (May 12 - June 2) (4wks)

Summer Camps:

1/2Basketball, 1/2 Volleyball Camp (co-ed, entering grades 3-8)

Monday-Friday, July 4-8 (all day)

Basketball - Elementary (girls entering grade 5-8)
Monday-Friday, August 22-25 (all day)

Basketball - High School (girls entering grade 9 & up)
Monday-Friday, August 29-September 2 (all day)

Elite Camp:
Basketball Elite Girls (highly competitive girls entering Gr.11 & 12)
Monday-Friday, 7:00-9:00pm (August 22-25)

Further information page:
http://gogaelsgo.com/documents/2011/3/30/2011_Summer_Camp_Offerings3.pdf?id=630

Registration page:
https://thriva.activenetwork.com/Reg4/(S(0gfvbx45hholih45ngk1nfja))/Form.aspx?regkey=RpYOYPxE378wNjTYCkFkMw%3d%3d&qid=1855

Scheduling for the fall is continuing to take shape, with the following dates confirmed:

Saturday, September 24^th
Alumni vs Alumni Game 1:00pm
Queen's vs St. Lawrence College 4:00pm

Friday-Sunday, October 14-16
@ Bishop's University Tournament

Friday-Sunday, October 21-23
Tindall Tournament @ Queen's (with Dalhousie, UQAM & Guelph)

We are looking at a couple of different options for the October 28-30 weekend and are working to confirm a Training Camp & Competition in the Caribbean post Christmas.

In the last update I reported that Jenny Wright will be joining our squad this fall. I am also pleased to announce that Jenny has been selected as the Catherine Gertrude Milliken-Smith award recipient. Jenny is following in fellow-Kingstonian, Liz Boag's footsteps as the recipient of the prestigious award. Established in March 2007 by Sherwood H. Smith, Jr. of Raleigh, North Carolina in memory of his mother Catherine Gertrude (Milliken) Smith, B.A. 1924, who, while attending Queen's, played for and managed the varsity women's basketball team. Awarded to recognize academic achievement and athletic excellence to student-athletes entering the first year of a direct-entry undergraduate degree program at Queen's University and who is on the competition roster of the Gaels interuniversity women's basketball team.

That's it for now.

Enjoy!

Dave.

Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)

Women's Basketball -- Update

Hi Folks,

This update is long overdue – lots been happening over the last month.

The OUA East All-Stars were announced, with Brittany Moore receiving her third consecutive nod as a First team All-Star – a remarkable accomplishment in itself. Brittany became the all-time leading scorer in Queen’s women’s basketball history this season and sits in 11^th spot in the OUA record books …… with a full season still ahead of her! And yes, that means Britt did get into the Faculty of Education at Q’s for this coming fall.

Liz Boag and Gemma Bullard also hit the spotlight as both were selected to the All-Rookie team. Both produced solid stats over the course of the season, more in line with much more veteran players.

Our team awards were handed out last week in conjunction with Queen’s Colour Awards (athletic banquet). Jill Wheat was honoured with the Coaches Award for her work both on and off the floor. Brittany captured the team MVP award (third straight year) and Liz was named the team’s Rookie of the Year. Further, Liz was honoured as the university’s Alfie Pierce Award winner as the outstanding rookie for the entire school.

100^th Anniversary Campaign
March 31^st marked the end of the 100 for 100 campaign in an effort to raise $10,000 for the women’s basketball program. I am very pleased to announce that recent donations just pushed us over the top to reach $10,210.95. The funds have already been earmarked for some significant projects including:
· Athletic Scholarship support
· Purchase of a “Shooting Machine”
· Enhanced competition travel
· Graduating Athletes/Parent’s Night

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 100^th Anniversary celebration a huge success.

On another note, our players participated in a varsity dodge ball tournament to help raise money for the children’s “Right to Play” charitable organization. On their way to capturing the gold medal, the players helped raise over $1,500 for the cause.

Looking forward, I am pleased to announce that Jenny Wright will be joining our team this fall. Jenny, a native of Kingston, plays for the highly respected Leslie Stevenson at Regiopolis Notre-Dame High School. Jenny was also a member of the Ontario Provincial Team that captured a Silver Medal at the National Championships last August, and continues to be a force with the Kingston Impact club team under the expert tutelage of Andrea Blackwell. At 5-10, Jenny is a very versatile perimeter player, able to handle ball under pressure, run the wing, attack the hoop with authority and pull up for the 3-point shot. She will be a great complement to our roster.

I hope to be able to announce a couple of more key recruits in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, exhibition scheduling is well under way for next season. I will have details in my next newsletter.

Enjoy.

Dave.
Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)

Season Comes to an Abrupt end

The loss of a season is very similar to a death. First there is shock, then disbelief, then acceptance, and ultimately you go into mourning. It takes time to grieve, time to reflect, and time to evaluate.

It is so tough when you see things unfold differently than you planned, expected and hoped for. Very tough indeed. And now that it is done, I look back and hope that we can learn some things from the hard lesson that this season became.

Things were moving forward quite late in the season. After a disappointing 3-2 loss to McMaster in the regular season, we pulled together very well for the last league game of the season. Learning from the McMaster game, we distributed the ball better, we mixed up our shots better and stayed focused on the process throughout, with no significant lapses, despite some push-back from the Gryphons. We had gone 5 with the Guelph squad back in the fall and they were one position behind us in the league standings. Set scores were 26-24, 25-17 and 25-21, giving us an authoritative 3-0 victory. Mike Amoroso was up against two very veteran (both 5th year) middles and showed what he can do going on an impressive 9 & 2 run, and added 2 blocks and 2 digs. Joren Zeeman and Bryan Fautley were their usual productive selves. Joren put up 17 kills on 38 swings, along with 2 blocks and 3 digs, while Bryan chipped in 12 kills on 27 swings with an impressive 9 digs and 1 block.

I felt it was a great recovery from the Mac game and a very positive way to end the regular season.

That left us in a tie with McMaster at 16 & 4, but based on head to head results, we lined up in third, and as such were slated to play the sixth placed Waterloo Warriors at home, in the quarter finals. There was no taking the black and gold lightly, despite their lower position in the league standings. In the two league outings this season, we beat them in five in their gym and then dropped the home match in four sets, in mid-January.

Things were going well in training in preparation for the playoffs, when we experienced a blow to the plan. 4th year left-side standout Niko Rukavina went down in practice with an ankle injury. As difficult as injuries are to a team's psyche, we seemed undeterred. A change in the line-up, utilizing third year left-side Matt Taylor in placed of Niko, and we carried on. Small adjustments to the passing alignment, and communication plan and away we went.

A solid performance against Waterloo in the quarters left us on the winning end of a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-17) match. Good job boys. No celebrating though..... as it was only one step on a staircase to our ultimate goal. Again, Amoroso went 9 & 2 and added 2 blocks and a dig, along with several positive touches, Zeeman was 12 for 27 and Fautley 10 for 22.

With much to do leading into the final-four weekend, we moved forward with the next game plan and a vision for how the week should unfold. Despite offering the boys a rest day, they opted to plug through, a small measure of their dedication to their goals.

On Tuesday of that week, we had another set-back. Dan Rosenbaum went down with an ankle sprain of his own. It seemed we couldn't buy a break!

Jackson Dakin, a gifted setter in his own right, stepped in and took over the quarterbacking assignment. He had done a great job with that all fall, while Rosie was rehabing a hip issue, and I felt a certain deja vu, as we had gone through the fall without Niko or Dan, and here we were again. My heart went out to those guys as they both worked so hard to get themselves back into the line-up, but at the same time, I did feel we could recover and that with our depth, we were up to the challenge.

Jackson worked diligently all week to re-establish a rhythm with his hitters. The boys kept their focus on the matches at hand and we kept pushing forward. As a coach, it is tough when you are down to one setter in practice, so I had to be creative in planning and implementing drills. We also had to adjust our warm-up routine, as we would be carrying that out with one set of hands.

We headed to Western on Thursday night. The ride went without incident and the boys seemed to be in the right head-space. Friday morning we headed to Alumni Hall for our normal pre-match passing session. We had a team lunch and then headed to the gym at 3:30, for our 5pm match.

Well, things didn't unfold as we had hoped. We missed some shots and some serves early on and after that we seemed to be rushed and uncomfortable in almost everything we did. Perhaps a credit to McMaster, but at the same time, a lot of it was just us. We passed low which made our middles late and our setter rushed. It was hard to get into a groove or find any kind of rhythm, until the third set, when we seemed to settled down. Perhaps it was because we were down two sets and no longer had anything to lose. We were doing well in the 4th, and were up 15-9, when there seemed to be a lapse in focus, and we let the Mauraders back in. We ultimately dropped the 4th 23-25, and the match 3-1. It is tough when you know you didn't play your best ball when it mattered the most. It is very tough.

So there you have it. A good season, plagued with injuries. More injuries than I can remember ever in my 24 years at Queen's. A season with high hopes and expectations. It is over. Now, we must put it behind us, and learn from it. We have a lot of work to do and a lot to look forward to. As the host of the 2012 CIS National Championships, we are guaranteed a berth. We won't rely on that though. We want to earn our way there and not just get slotted in as the 'host'. With no one graduating and what poses to be a great recruiting class, we still have a goal. We have much that can be learned from this season. Our goals are more immediate now, but definitely achieveable, and that is what we will focus on.

We want to thank all the fans who supported us this year. Playing in the ARC in front of big crowds is a special thing. Thank you to the Queen's Athletics and Recreation staff for doing everything possible to make us successful. A special thanks as well to the Assistant Coaches, Gabriel DeGroot, Greg Stevenson and James Battiston for all your work this season. I also want to acknowledge and thank Student Trainer Andras Switzer and Technical Assistant Wesley Chen for their contributions to our program.

All I can hope is that we come back hungrier and both physically and mentally stronger in 2012. This is a great group of athletes and I know that they are destined to do great things!

Go Gaels Go!