OSHAWA, Ont. - Durham College women's volleyball ran into a strong Seneca Sting side Wednesday night in Oshawa, falling in straight sets in front of an energetic home crowd.

The atmosphere inside the gym was a highlight of the night, with several local club teams and schools in attendance to support the Lords. The crowd stayed engaged from first serve to final point, giving Durham a noticeable boost throughout the match.

On the court, the opening set saw Durham trade points early before Seneca gradually created separation, pulling ahead late to take the frame 25-19. 

The Lords responded with their best stretch of the night in set two, staying within striking distance throughout and pushing the Sting into a tighter finish before Seneca edged it 25-23. Durham continued to battle in the third, but Seneca closed the match with a 25-16 decision to secure the sweep.

Despite the result, there were several strong individual performances for the Lords. 

Elizabeth McFarland led Durham offensively with 12 kills while also making her presence felt at the net, recording four solo blocks and finishing with a team-high 16.0 points. 

Jessie Buck posted five kills on a .312 hitting percentage and added three blocks. Chelsea Oke contributed seven kills, while the Lords' blocking unit combined for seven total blocks on the night.

Defensively, Durham showed resilience, out-digging Seneca 59-49. Julie Wong led all Lords with 13 digs, followed closely by Veronika Cavojska and Chelsea Oke with 12 each and Brooke Young with 10. 

Young also handled primary setting duties, dishing out 23 assists to help keep the offence moving against a disciplined Seneca defence.

The Lords are back in action on Saturday, January 31 at 1 p.m. against the St. Lawrence Surge in Kingston.

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