Recap

Smash Blank Rollers 4-0 in Very Entertaining and Close Match

Smash Stifle Late Rollers’ Rally to Emerge Victorious

If the first game was any indication, the fight for supremacy between the East Toronto Smash and the Northern Rollers was going to be a tight one.

The Smash women’s duo of Leigh Bradwell and Jordann Vigna had to keep their composure long enough against Rollers pair Jessica Kawamoto and Emma Li to prevail 15-12.

The Smash jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, including a great dinking volley between the two pairs. Li and Kawamoto fought back gamely, trimming the lead to 4-2, including a great backhand return that eluded the Smash.

The Smash maintained the momentum, though, and took a 8-4 lead into the side change. After two quick points widened the lead to 10-4, the beleaguered Rollers took a well-timed timeout. Yet, nothing went Li and Kawamoto’s way, and they were forced to take another timeout down 13-6 after a miss long.

That break was the ticket, with the Rollers setting Bradwell and Vigna back on their heels, coming all the way back to 13-12. The 12^th point came after the Smash had taken a timeout leading 13-11.

That was as far as the Rollers would get, however, with Bradwell and Vigna recovering in time to seal the deal.

Another Late Rollers Rally Squashed by Smash

In what was just about a mirror image of the women’s first game, the men’s twosome of Dalbir Bhandal and Chris Alain had to dig deep to beat Rollers Corey Osborne and Jonas Dahler by the same count of 15-12.

Again, the Smash jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead, aided by several returns by the Rollers that found nothing but net. Osborne and Dahler did fight back well, but not good enough to take a lead into side change, down 8-4.

The rest seemed to do the trick, as the Rollers used several dinking rallies to their advantage, aided by some long and wide returns by the Smash. The Rollers never did take a lead but did manage to get proceedings to as close as 11-9. The Smash didn’t let that turn of events get them down, as they used some excellent defence to roll to a 13-9 lead before a time out.

After the break, Smash seemed to be in the driver’s seat, scoring to go into a freeze 14-9. Yet, the Rollers wouldn’t lie down, with Osborne putting together back-to-back missiles to trim the Smash’s advantage to 14-12. That would be the end, though, of another Rollers rally, with Smash nailing it down 15-12.

Smash and Rollers Take it to the Limit in Mixed Doubles Double-Freeze Thriller

While the result wasn’t what they wanted, the Rollers certainly made the most of a heartbreaking 15-14 loss in mixed doubles. In the end, after both teams traded double freeze opportunities for the win, it was decided on Rollers Corey Osborne putting a toe in the No Volley Zone, handing the Smash the win and the overall match victory.

This game wasn’t without a little bit of everything, and yet again, the Smash roared out to an early commanding lead, going into side change up 8-2. Dalbir Bhandal fired two absolute bombs at both Osborne and his partner Emma Li early on, while Jordann Vigna also added a blast of her own.

In true Rollers fashion, Osborne and Li staged a furious comeback after side change, using great dinking ability and rallies to get the score as close as 11-9. However, both Osborne and Li found the Selkirk net on a two occasions as the Smash upped the lead to 14-9 and a freeze.

This is where things got very interesting. Osborne and Li both found another gear, using some great set-ups and a variety of shots to tie things up at 14-14. A double freeze was traded back and forth, as neither team found the winning formula holding serve. And the ending was anti-climactic, as the side judge saw Osborne’s toe in the No Volley Zone.

Smash Flip the Script to Win Match Finale Over Rollers

In what was a meaningless game – the Smash had already won the match – Smash mixed pair Chris Alain and Leigh Bradwell certainly didn’t consider it as such. After Rollers duo Jessica Kawamoto and Jonas Dahlen got out to early leads, Alain and Bradwell roared back, winning 15-14.

Early in the game it was a lot of back-and-forth, with both teams finding net on returns. It stayed that way until side change, before the Rollers put the Smash’s feet to the coals with some impressive rallies, upping the lead to 14-9.

But, just like the previous game, it was Smash’s turn to mount an incredible comeback. Down 14-12, the Smash used some great dinking shots and hard returns, setting up Alain for a blistering return that hit Dahlen squarely for the point. The Rollers, aptly, called a timeout.

It did not seem to re-energize the Rollers, who allowed a point right after for a double freeze and then handed the Smash a fourth triumph, 15-14.