The Lions tame the Queens away from home

Red Deer, January 20, 2023 – As the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Volleyball team looked to shake off an 0-2 weekend, they were faced with another big test when they took on the Ambrose University Lions earlier this evening. Before the match, the Lions sat in first place with an 11-3 record and stayed in first place with a five-set victory to go to 12-3 on the year.

The Queens got off to a very fast start against the first-placed Lions as they jumped out to a 9-3 lead before the Lions coach called a timeout. After the timeout, Ambrose was able to battle back with a 12-5 run of their own to tie the set up halfway through the set. The Lions were able to shake off that early set rust and were able to run an offense around the Queens defense. After fighting off four set points, RDP was able to score six straight points to take the first set 26-24. Right-side Sydney Rix (Bachelor of Education) got the ace on the set point.

Unlike the first set, the Queens found themselves on the wrong end of a 10-4 start by the Lions before Head Coach Talbot Walton called his first timeout of the set. Two big digs from libero Frankie Santini (Justice Studies) brought some energy back to the Queens side as they continued to battle from behind against the Lions. But it was the Lions that took the second set with a commanding score of 25-15 to even out the match at one.

Two points into the second set, the longest rally of the set took place with the Queens taking the point of a block from setter Dani Wiens (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology) that put the ball to the hardwood. The Queens were able to shake that second set off and put in a fight in the third set with the Lions in a very loud Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre as the crowd was making some noise not only for the Queens but for mental health as well during the annual Make Some Noise for Mental Health event. After the Lions shot out to a two-point lead late in the third set, Walton called a timeout on behalf of the Queens. This third set really felt like a championship match with both teams not cracking and continuing a one-point spread in a set that went quite a distance. Ultimately, the Queens found a way to take the third set 32-30 and go up 2-1 on the Lions in the match.

Down by just one set, the Lions did not give up and continued their fight against the Queens. Even after losing a very tight one in the third set, Ambrose showed their adversity in the fourth set as they were battling towards a possible fifth set. The Lions did just that as they took the fourth set 25-21 after Queens right-side Randi Gill (Bachelor of Science) was stuffed at the net.

The fifth set was just like the previous two as it was tight and a hard-fought battle right until the match point. Both teams were putting in the effort that it could be anyone's victory. In the end, the Lions would take the fifth set and the match with a 15-13 victory.

The players of the game went to Lions middle Gracee Fehr and Queens outside Vanessa Loos (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology). Fehr, on the night, had 16 kills, five digs, and four blocks. Loos completed her night with 15 kills and an impressive 17 digs.

These two teams will face off in a rematch in Calgary at 6 pm at the Ambrose University campus.