The Eagles stay undefeated with a four set victory over the Queens
Red Deer, January 14, 2023 – Tonight featured a matchup of one of last year's ACAC Championship semi-final between the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens and The Kings University Eagles. The Queens defeated the Eagles and went on to win the ACAC Championship. Just under a year later, these two teams face off yet again but in league play. The Eagles are currently the only undefeated team left in ACAC Women's Volleyball and sit in second place but with a game in hand of the first place Lakeland Rustlers. As for the Queens, they are in third place and are coming off a five-set thriller loss to the Concordia University Thunder last night. As the Eagles put their undefeated record on the line, the Queens looked for some redemption after a loss they thought they should have won. But they definitely had their hands full tonight with Kings sitting in third in the nation.
10 points into the first set, both teams rallied to keep a very long rally going which ended in the Eagles finding an open spot on the Queens side of the court to take their first lead of the match. After this point in the match, the visiting Eagles would go on a 6-1 run to open the set up leading to a timeout called by Head Coach Talbot Walton. Later on in the set, a couple big blocks by right-side Sydney Rix (Bachelor of Education) put the Queens back into striking distance of the Eagles. But The Kings University would take the opening set 25-18 after the Queens could not return a kill from the Eagles.
The Eagles would open the set up early but that didn't stop the Queens from battling back into it. They would get within three points of Kings before long-time coach Grace Scott called a timeout to close the gaps the Queens were finding. They managed to tie it up late in the second set with a kill by Rix splitting the Eagles block, forcing Scott to call her final timeout of the set. Kings was able to fight off three set points but ended up losing 26-24 after Rix found an opening piece of hardwood and tipped it to take the set.
As expected, these two faced off in a very tight back-and-forth third set with any team able to pick up the win as it was just that close. Late in the set, Kings was down but they were not out as they continued a very long rally with multiple last-minute digs, and they were paid off with the point. In the end, the Kings came back down by a couple late in the third to take the set 25-22 after the Queens could not return the serve.
It was a tight one right until the final point. The Eagles were able to fight off multiple Queens set points and tie it up at 24 for the second time in the match. The Queens still fought but ultimately could not block the Eagles as they were able to kill it for the match victory and stay undefeated.
Middle-blocker Autumn Roos from the Queens was named their player of the game, who had 11 kills and six digs on the night. For the Eagles, left-side Sam Lieuwen was named her team's player of the game with 17 kills and nine digs.
The Queens will be back in action next week Friday against the Ambrose Lions in Red Deer at 6 pm. The Eagles will fight for the top spot in the North Division next week when they take on the Lakeland College Rustlers and put their undefeated record on the line again.