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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: Nov 26, 2016

Lions Fight Hard But Lose In Four To Visiting Trojans

Lions Fight Hard But Lose In Four To Visiting Trojans
Box Score
Game Leaders
SAIT
K: Megan Brennan - 14
B: Simran Dhami - 5
D: Megan Brennan - 14
SA: Shantelle Jonassen - 3
AMB
K: Julia Kemper - 16
B: Shae Mendes - 5
D: Julia Kemper - 18
SA: Julia Kemper - 3
Team Stats
Full stats

After losing in three very quick sets at SAIT on Thursday, the Lions Women's Volleyball team was eager to bounce back and compete with their crosstown rivals. SAIT, one of the South's top 3 teams, was gunning for the weekend sweep going into the Christmas break.Unfortunately for the home team, the Trojans came out on top in four sets and completed a nine game winning streak.

Right off the bat the Lions showed their opponents that this game wouldn't be another rout, keeping the score neck-and-neck off of strong serving and blocking from several players including Shaelyn Mendes and Ashleigh McKinnon. Late in the set the score was tied 21-21 before SAIT pulled away, winning 25-23 after a kill from 5th year leftside Megan Brennan.

The second set was just as close as the first, with the Lions taking an early 9-3 lead before SAIT fought back to make it just 15-14 for the home team. The Lions pulled within two points of the set victory after a block from Mendes and setter Maddi Richter made it 23-21, but SAIT came back to tie it and force extra points. A kill from Ashleigh McKinnon made it 25-24 for her squad, and another kill down the line from McKinnon gave the Lions the second set. 

The next set was just as close as the first two until the final points; Ambrose led at 20-18 after a run of 4 straight kills from Julia Kemper, but the Trojans responded with a 7-1 run to take the set 25-21. SAIT's momentum carried into the 4th and final set, taking an early 11-3 lead off of very strong serving from Shantelle Jonassen and frustrating defense against the leftside attacks of Julia Kemper and Mady Kerr. The Lions made a push late in the set, but their deficit was already too great and the 4th set ended at 25-15 for SAIT. Ambrose P.O.G was libero Brooklyn Dyck.

Head Coach Colin Kubinec believed his team has a lot to learn from this weekend's games. "We had a video session today and I think it really showed how SAIT exposed the weaknesses in our game, so we have lots of work to do but still want to focus on the process." Despite a disappointing end to the first semester, the Lions remain motivated to reach the level of success they'll need to push into the postseason. "We're still in a three-way tie for a playoff position," said Kubinec, "so we will be very hungry to make those adjustments."

The Lions' first games of the new year will be against the Medicine Hat Rattlers, first on January 6th in the Lions' Den and then the following night in the Snake Pit.

 

-Brent Ingram