ACAC Women's Volleyball Championship Day One Recap

ACAC Women's Volleyball Championship Day One Recap

Game One: 

The first game of the day put third place from the North division third place NAIT Ooks against South division second place Red Deer College Queens. The NAIT Ooks took the lead for the majority of the first set, but the Queens hit their rhythm around point 18 to tie the score at 20-20. The Queens then grabbed another four points unanswered to lead 24-20. The Ooks dug deep and found another three points, but it wasn't enough to grab the win. The Queens ultimately won the first set 25-23. The NAIT Ooks also received a yellow card towards the end of the game for an illegal substitution. 

Set two began similiarly to set one, as the Queens went down 7-4 early on, but grabbed a lead from point 10 and carried it forward, keeping a difference of 10 points between themselves and the Ooks for a majority of the game. The Queens really worked their drop shots during the game and had some excellently timed blocks to keep their lead, at one point ahead 22-15. The Ooks came close to a comeback after that point and closed the distance, but not enough to make it a win, as the Queens took the second set 25-19. 

For a change of pace, the Queens took the lead early on in the third set, ahead 5-1 before the Ooks called a timeout. Once again, the Queens had some very well timed blocks and some good drops, which helped them take the third set - and subsequently the game - 25-17. 

 

Game Two: 

The Lakeland Rustlers, who finished their season in first place in the North division, set an aggressive tone straight from the first set, leading fourth place from the South division Ambrose Lions from the outset. Both teams played well defensively for some long lasting rallies and an exciting games for the spectators in the stands. The Rustlers' aggressive hitting was a key point that kept them ahead for the first set and eventually taking the win 25-17. 

For the second set, the Rustlers kept up with their aggressive serving, which helped keep them ahead of the Lions. Their defense and hitting were also crucial to their success during the second set. At 8-2 for the Rustlers, the Lions called a timeout and managed to string together a run of points to keep the game close at 12-7, still in favour of Lakeland. However, the Rustlers' disciplined blocking and their strong hitting put them in a commanding 20-12 lead. The Rustlers took the second set 25-15 to make it 2-0 against the Lions. 

The Rustlers started the third set with the same style of aggressive serving, grabbing themselves a few aces, which pushed the Lions to call an early timeout as the score sat at 7-1 for the Rustlers. However, not much could be done to stop the hard hitting Rustlers as they extended their lead to 12-3, when the Lions called a second time out. At 17-4, it was clear the Rustlers were going for the win, which they got with a final score of 25-9. 

 

Game Three: 

The King's Eagles, who placed second in the North division, faced off against the Lethbridge Kodiaks, who finished third in the South division, for the third game. It was a tight first set, as both teams had great defensive play. Unfortunately, the Kodiaks struggled against a clinical Eagles team early in the game and couldn't come back early enough to make up the difference. The Eagles took the first set 25-17. 

For the second set, the Eagles kept up their aggressive play as the Kodiaks worked on the errors that had cost them dearly in the first set. Unfortunately, the Eagles looked to be in complete control as they lead by as much as seven points at one point. Eventually, the Eagles took the second set as well, with a final score of 25-18. 

Set three had the Kodiaks looking more comfortable on the court, which showed in the early results of the match. The Kodiaks took an early lead and managed to keep it for a time, before some clumsy mistakes began to wear down on it. The Eagles managed to catch up to the Kodiaks and eventually took the lead. The Kodiaks looked a lot stronger during the third set, but it wasn't enough to get back on top. They kept it close, with the Eagles taking a close 28-26 win over the Kodiaks. 

 

Game Four: 

Both teams had an explosive start to the last game of the day. The Briercrest Clippers, who finished in first place in the South, faced off against fourth place in the North, and host, Augustana Vikings. The Clippers took the first lead of the game, but the underdog Vikings managed to push through and led through the majority of the first set. The Clippers kept up with the Vikings for most of the set, but were unable to grab a tie and breakthrough. The Vikings took a four point lead three times during the game, eventually taking the first set 25-20. 

 

After a surprising win in the second set, hopes were high for the loud hometown fans in the stands. But the Clippers came out in full force for the second set, grabbing two points right at the start, and began remind fans they had a 23-1 season this year. Eventually, the Clippers lead the Vikings 17-12, as the Vikings bled points through clumsy defensive mistakes and near misses on the back line. The Clippers played a very clinical, aggressive game the Vikings had a hard time keeping up with and took the second set 25-17. 

The Clippers came out in set three even more ready to play, which showed as they took a quick 4-0 lead over the Vikings. Eventually the home team did get themselves on the board, but not enough to be convincing. The Vikings struggled to counter against the Clippers and dropped critical points at the end of long and well played rallies when they should have taken them. The Vikings of the first set were not the same as the third set, as the Clippers eventually took the game 25-8. 

Despite these two teams having the biggest gap in season earned points out of all the day's match-ups, they were also the first team to make it past the minimum of three sets. The Vikings looked a little more with it at the beginning of the fourth set, keeping the Clippers tied at 3-3. The Clippers eventually pulled away to take the lead, but the Vikings were not going to let them do so without more of a fight. The Vikings looked for more chances and did go on a few runs to collect points, but were unable to pressure the Clippers the same way they did at the start of the game. The Vikings unfortunately made some untimely mistakes and were just within fingertips reach of a few points, just enough to give the Clippers the lead they deserved. The final score was 25-19 for the Clippers; a much better game from the Vikings, but ultimately not enough to take it to five sets.