The Kings sweep the third ranked team in Canada, sit atop the South Division

Red Deer, November 26 – The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings looked at sweeping the Lethbridge College Kodiaks to enhance their national rankings and prove to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference that they are the team to beat if anyone wants a chance at a trip to nationals in March. The Kings looked great last night and would win three straight sets over the Kodiaks in a match that was much closer than the score showed.  

Early on in the match, the Kings and Kodiaks were in the middle of a rally that featured the home team to make multiple scrambling plays that including guys hitting the floor to dig the ball up. But it was the Kodiaks who would come away with the points on the play. The Kodiaks would be on the right side again of an enduring rally. Both teams refused to give up on any ball no matter where it was on the court of play.

With an impressive serving game from Australian Nicholas Possingham (Bachelor of Arts Psychology), the Kings went on to take the opening set with a score of 25-17. Lefty Brett Lower (Bachelor of Science Nursing) finished off the Kodiaks with a kill that was wiped off the Kodiaks block out of bounds.

The Kings continued to be dominant over the Kodiaks. They would give up one point but would not allow the Kodiaks to go on a run to catch up and tie the match, forcing Head Coach Greg Gibos to call a timeout to try and figure out something new for his team. The Kings offence was looking great, and they were not giving easy points on defense as they were scrambling to dig up every ball.

After left-side Colby Nemeth (Bachelor of Commerce) had the chance to serve for the set and missed, the Kings were given the opportunity to kill for the set and it was Possingham that was set up for the kill. He would put it down to the hardwood with authority and lead his team to a second set 25-18 victory. At the end of the second set, the Australian had eight kills and three service aces.

The Kodiaks would be the first one to break and call a timeout after the Kings took an early three-point lead. Besides a few errors throughout the match, the Kings were looking quite flawless in every aspect of the game. Eight of their first twelve points have been from kills before the break and were making it tough on the Kodiaks to run their offence.

Coming out of the timeout, the Kodiaks were able to get back-to-back points on solo blocks from Adam Revet and Shaye Wall. But in the end, the Kings would sweep the Kodiaks three straight after Lower served for the match with an ace to take the third set 25-19.

Head Coach Aaron Schulha explain when the Kings first touch of each rally is on, they are pretty hard to beat.

"It was pretty outstanding. These two matches were definitely our most complete matches of the year so far. It all starts with our first contact. If we are serving and passing the ball well then we are pretty hard to beat. I am proud of the boys, it was a great finish as we head into the Christmas break and looking forward to the start of the second half in 2023."

The players of the game went to Nolan Moes of the Kodiaks and Colby Nemeth of the Kings. Moes finished his night with 10 kills and Nemeth had six kills and two aces.

The Kings will not be in action until January 13 when they take on the Concordia University Thunder and the Kodiaks first half is not done as they have a doubleheader at home next weekend against the Briercrest College Clippers.