Weeks, Francolini selected to first all-star team

Women’s skip Terri Weeks and lead Joanna Francolini were selected to the first all-star team.

At the OCAA championships, Niagara went 4-2 in the round robin – Mohawk, 6-3; Fleming, 8-5; Fanshawe, 5-2; Seneca, 5-3; St. Clair, 5-7; Humber, 1-7 – before edging Fleming 7-5 in the semifinals.

A tight battle in the rematch with Fleming was tied 3-3 after five ends. Turning point for Niagara was when the Knights stole a pair in the sixth to go up by two.

Fleming took two points in the seventh, but in the process gave Niagara the hammer for the eighth, and final, end.

With a berth in the gold medal on the line, the Knights made no mistakes on their way to a 7-5 win highlighted by Courtney Smith’s last shot runback double to score one for the win.

“The ladies had a great run to the gold medal game only to lose on a last throw rock from Humber,” said Niagara coach Jordan Thin, who was selected as the OCAA’s top coach for the second year in a row.

Aside from Burlington’s Lorelle Weavers, a medal-winning golfer during the curling offseason, the Niagara rink is made up of high school graduates from the region. Caldwell went to E.L. Crossley, Smith to Denis Morris while Renee Boyce attended Sir Winston Churchill.

The Knights men’s team, also

Jordan Koslowski, 12 kills, one stuff blocks; and Rachel Rivers, nine kills, two service aces, two stuff blocks; led all scorers with 13 points as Niagara swept the Seneca Sting – 25-17, 31-29, 25-6 – in women’s college volleyball.

The home-court win guarantees the defending Ontario silver medallists a berth in the provincial championships getting underway Friday in Windsor.

Niagara head coach Nathan Janzen said team serving was the key to victory.

“With 16 total aces and eight errors, we were able to stay in control throughout the match,” he said.

Setter Bailey Davis had 29 assists and had 15-point serving run in the final set.

The Knights, 15-3, second in the west; return to the court Friday for a quarter-final match at provincials against the Cambrian Golden Shield, 9-9, sixth in the west. coached by Thin, finished 2-6.

“They played each team tough and went to the ends in all of their losses,” the coach said. “A couple of shots here and there and the record is completely different.”

“Great experience for a young team that will serve them well next year.”