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Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference "To be Canada's premiere collegiate athletic conference by developing and inspiring leadership through excellence in academics, sport and citizenship"
Posted: Oct 13, 2023

SAIT Edges Host Clippers in Five Set Thriller

Video Box Score
Game Leaders
SAIT
K: Taryn Corkery - 11
B: 3 Players (#04, #06, #15) - 2
D: 2 Players (#07, #08) - 19
SA: LeeAnne Arnott - 2
BC
K: Rachel Stead - 11
B: Faith Buhler - 2
D: Faith Buhler - 16
SA: 3 Players (#2, #11, #13) - 3
Team Stats
Full stats

The Briercrest Clippers hosted the SAIT Trojans to open their 2023-24 ACAC women's volleyball campaign, falling to the visitors in five entertaining sets, 15-25, 25-20, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11.

Early season jitters were on display to open the match. Clippers' Julia Beer and Rachel Stead enjoyed moments of joy on serve as the home team forged a quick advantage. Following a timeout, SAIT's sliced into the deficit thanks to Grace Florence, only to have Clipper setter Bailey Opseth and outside hitter Kacey De Jong expand the gap. The hosts rode effective serving to win set one.

Florence maintained her strong serving game in set two as the Clippers' touch from the service line abandoned them. SAIT's Emileigh Inglis and Payton Van Driesten stymied the Clippers with sturdy blocking. Out of a Briercrest timeout, SAIT's LeeAnne Arnott supplied the offensive spark to allow SAIT to square the match.

Briercrest received input from veterans Beer and Buhler to establish an early edge in set three, but the Clippers could not gain a firm advantage. Lengthy rallies and service miscues marked the middle section of the set, but late in the frame, SAIT's Sophia Ferguson provided the boost on serve to support her team's defensive game, earning the visitors the set win.

In the penultimate set, a run of tough serves from Beer forced a SAIT timeout, but the Trojans responded to knot the score. Tenacious defense marked much of the action, highlighted by a critical block by Stead and Opseth. Briercrest was the hungrier team down the stretch as they pushed the action to a fifth set.

The teams entertained the capacity crowd with back-and-forth action as De Jong and Okerstrom exchanged sharp attacks with Ferguson. SAIT edged ahead, only to have Stead level the score. Arnott's timely attacks secured the 15-11 win and gave SAIT the match.

Player of the Game for Briercrest was Rachel Stead, who provided 2 aces and 11 kills. SAIT's Emileigh Inglis starred on defensive with 19 digs to garner the award.