MONTREAL -- Caroline Lemay of Rockland, Ont., scored 18.5 points as Ottawa defeated McGill 3-1 in RSEQ women's volleyball at Love Competition Hall on Friday. Set scores were 22-25, 22-25, 25-23, and 19-25.

It was the Martlets' third loss to the Gee-Gees in as many contests, including one preseason match. Ottawa, which improved to 3-3, is in their first season in the Quebec conference after transferring from the OUA, where they posted an 11-8 record last season.

"They're a good team," said McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau, who owns a 568-504-2 overall record in her 26th season at McGill, including a 199-212 mark in regular season play. "When they play well, they play really well. We played a very good defensive game, and I think overall a good game. They were just a bit more consistent on serve receiving than we were. That was the only difference."

Lemay tallied her points on the strength of 16 kills, two aces and a block. The accounting junior was also credited with a dozen digs. Teammate Kaly Soro followed with 18 points and 10 digs, while Sabrina Roy led a strong defensive effort with a game-high 28 digs.

Myriam Robitaille, a six-foot middle blocker from Terrebonne, Que., scored 15 points for the Martlets. The French language and literature junior had 14 kills and a stuff block, in addition to a pair of digs. Three other McGill players reached double-digits in scoring. Rowan Fletcher, a freshman from Montreal, earned 13 points on 11 kills and two blocks. Emilie Matte de Grasse, a physical education junior and fellow Montrealer, totaled 11 points, and Erika Cournoyer, an industrial relations senior from Longueuil, Que., chipped in 10.5 points.

Third-year setter Thara Dawoodjee of Ottawa racked up a game-high 49 assists for the Martlets, while Ariane Lavoie-Boutin of La Prairie, Que., recorded a team-high passing ratio of 2.12 (out of three).

"Offensively we were even," noted Beliveau. "They had great defence, we had great defence. The game was very intense and quite spectacular, I believe. It's only a matter of consistency on serve receiving. When we're not consistent, it's four or five points that we give away, and then it's tougher to catch up."

Ottawa, which had a passing ratio of over 2.0, compared to McGill's 1.70, held a 14-6 advantage in service aces, a 57-56 edge in kills and a 69-36 margin in digs.

McGill (3-3) visits Laval (4-1) in Quebec City on Saturday (Nov. 12) at 7 p.m. Ottawa (3-3) next takes on UQAM (1-5) on Nov. 18.