Clippers come back to defeat RDP Queens in four sets

Red Deer, February 2, 2024 - Despite dropping the first, the Briercrest College Clippers came back and took the next three sets to upset the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens in central Alberta on Friday evening.

In the first few points of the set, it was very much a close match with both teams exchanging kills with each other to keep it a one-point game. But in the late stages of the set, the Clippers managed to jump out to a four-point lead. The Queens were able to battle back with some hard work on defence to tie it up at 21 with defensive specialist Madelyn DeZutter (Bachelor of Education) serving four in a row from the line. The Polytechnic would take a 23-21 lead into a Clippers timeout. Outside-hitter Jaiden Ferguson (Business Administration) put away her fifth kill of the match to help her Queens to a 25-23 victory. Ferguson was later named the player of the match. She had 12 kills and nine digs.

The second set was even closer than the first with both teams staying in rallies with hard work on defence. This kept the score very close right until the Clippers took a 22-19 lead which led to the Polytechnic calling a timeout. Out of the short break, the Queens earned the next four points which forced Briercrest College to call a timeout with outside-hitter Morgan Boisvert (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology) putting two of those balls away for kills. But the Clippers battled back to take the second 27-25 with back-to-back services aces from outside-hitter Julia Beers (Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry) who was later named the player of the match. Beers had a match-high 18 kills in the win.

In yet another close set, the Clippers pulled away in the late stages of the third to take a 24-21 lead into a Queens timeout following a return error. The Polytechnic would take the point following the short break but Clippers middle Rachel Stead (Bachelor of Business Administration) put away her ninth kill of the match to give her team a 25-22 victory.

The Clippers pulled away in the late moments of the fourth to take a 22-19 lead which forced the Queens to call the first timeout of the set after it being close right up until this point. The Polytechnic would earn the point out of the short break but after a setting error, the Clippers took the match with a 25-20 victory.

These two teams will clash in a rematch tomorrow at 1 pm.

Players of the match: Julia Beers (Clippers) and Jaiden Ferguson (Queens)