The Queens bounce back in their own gym with a win against the Trojans
Red Deer, January 28, 2023 – The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Volleyball team was able to avenge last night's four-set loss with a four-set win of their own on Saturday night. Last night, the Queens looked like they were going to make quick work of the Trojans after winning the first set 25-11 but would fall in the next three sets giving the Trojans the win. But it was much different tonight.
After dropping three straight sets to the Trojans after taking the opening set last night, the Queens looked like a much different team at the beginning of this match as they managed to jump out to a 13-7 lead heading into a SAIT timeout. A net violation by the Trojans led to the Queens winning the first set 25-22 but before this, the Trojans were able to fight off one set point.
To begin the set, the Queens started strong which included a huge one-woman block on the outside from Lauren Junck (Bachelor of Psychology), which is a great start for RDP as they came out very slow last night in Calgary after taking the opening set 25-11. Some great serving throughout the second set made it very much a great battle right to the finish. When the Trojans were serving, they were making it difficult for the Queens to run their offense and get a clean kill. But the Queens fought off two set points to tie it up at 24 and later would win it 27-25 after a tip by right-side Sydney Rix (Bachelor of Education) went off the block and out of bounds.
With the Trojans not wanting to leave after losing three straight sets, the SAIT women put up quite a fight to stay in it and they managed to pull away from the Queens late in the third set before Queens Head Coach Talbot Walton called a timeout. Once again, the Trojans powerful, strategic serving separated them from RDP late in the set to extend their lead to four as they push for a fourth set in which they were able after a block on the outside gave them the set point.
The Queens managed to start the fourth set with a whole new look as they came out of the gate fast which led to an early four-point lead and later extended that to six before the Trojans called their final timeout of the set. Junck for the Queens would serve three aces in a row to give them a very commanding seven-point lead late in the fourth set. The Queens would win the final set 25-17 to win the match 3-1.
The Trojans player of the game went LeAnne Arnott with 12 kills and four digs. This honour for the Queens went to middle-blocker Autumn Roos (Open Studies) with 10 kills and two blocks.
The Queens will be back in action against their Central Alberta rivals, the Olds College Broncos next Friday at 6 pm in Olds. As for the Trojans, they will have a two-game home set against the Briercrest College Clippers starting on Friday at 6 pm.