OTTAWA -- Five members of the Ottawa Gee-Gees hit double digits en route to 3-1 victory over visiting McGill in an RSEQ women's volleyball contest to officially open the 2016-17 season before a noisy crowd of 260 at Montpetit Hall, Friday. The set scores were 25-16, 15-25, 25-19 and 25-16.

It was the debut appearance in the Quebec conference for Ottawa, which recently jumped ship from the OUA East, where they finished fourth of seven teams last year with an 11-8 record. McGill is coming off a 15-7 second-place finish in the Quebec league, which has now expanded to six teams.

"Ottawa played really well in front of an energetic home crowd," said Rachele Beliveau, a former Canadian Olympian now in her 26th season as head coach at McGill, a team that features seven freshmen, four sophomores, four juniors and three seniors. " We played a decent game but were young and have to focus more on playing the game, rather playing the result. We spent too much time worrying about what we should do if this happens or that happens."

Caroline Lemay led the Gee-Gees with 13 total points, all of them on kills, to go along with a dozen digs. She was supported by teammates Kira Tome (12.5 pts), Kaly Soro (12), former McGill all-star Kaiva Mateus (11) and Kara Hayes (10.5).

Mateus, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Montreal, is in a first-year master's program in education at uOttawa, four years after graduating fom McGill in 2012, where she earned All-Canadian honours and led the Martlets to bronze in her senior year.After a brief stint with the national team, she played pro with a second-division team in Laon, France and a first-division squad in Michelbeke, Belguim.

Team captain Myriam Robitaille was the only McGill player to reach double figures. The six-foot middle-blocker collected 13 points, nine of them on kills, in addition to a pair of service aces and four assisted stuff blocks. Teammate Erika Cournoyer, a senior from Longueuil, Que., added 9.5 points, while Emilie Matte de Grasse and freshman Claire Vercheville contibuted seven points apiece.

Senior Marjolaine Ste-Marie, a 5-foot-5 libero from St. Lambert, Que., registered a game-high 19 digs in a losing cause.

McGill (0-1) will look to rebound on Sunday at 4 p.m. when they host Laval (0-0) at Love Competition Hall. The Rouge et Or, a perennial contender for the Quebec crown, ended up fourth last year with a 10-12 record, thier first sub-.500 campaign since 2007-08 when they went 9-12.

MARTLET MURMURS: Two rookies started for McGill: Claire Vercheval, a 6-foot-2 power-hitter from Ste. Julie, Que., and Montrealer Rowan Fletcher, a six-footer who plays the right side.