MVB | Kodiaks earn crucial victory
Feb. 9, 2018 – In the most intense game of the season so far, the Kodiaks men's volleyball delivered a clutch performance.
The home town side ensured they kept in control of their playoff destiny with a 3-1 victory over the third ranked SAIT Trojans.
Veteran Dax Whitehead noticeably upped his game to help deliver Lethbridge to their biggest win of the season, blasting 12 kills and grabbing eight digs. Mike Hummel was a force at the net, driving home eight kills from the middle and adding three huge blocks.
The opening two sets were gritty affairs, with neither team able to find much separation early on. Lethbridge opened with an 11-7 lead but SAIT closed the gap to 20-19, forcing a Kodiaks timeout. The home side battled for a 24-23 advantage before stealing the game winning point on a huge block from Hummel.
It was much of the same in set two, as SAIT battled back from an 11-6 deficit to take a 19-17 lead. The Kodiaks called timeout and were able to regroup, digging deep to tie the match at 21 before scoring the final five points consecutively to win 25-21.
Led by Spencer Coulter, the Trojans refused to back down and dominated the third set. Coulter had seven kills and four digs in the set as SAIT extended the match with a 25-17 win.
Cool under pressure, the Kodiaks pressed the Trojans with a varied offensive attack in the fourth. They built an 18-13 lead before the Trojans took the next three points to give the home crowd a scare.
Like they did in the second set, however, the Kodiaks rallied off six of the next nine points to clinch the game.
Carter Hansen was named Kodiaks player of the game with five kills and four gutsy digs. Trent Mounter was named Trojans player of the game with 17 kills and eight digs.
Holding a magic number of two with three games remaining, the Kodiaks will travel to Calgary for the rematch against the Trojans tomorrow night. That game can be streamed for free on ACACTV.ca and will start after the women's game is complete, approximately at 8 p.m.