The Kings and Queens calm the storm in Red Deer defeating the Concordia University Thunder
Red Deer, November 17, 2023 – The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings and Queens quiet the Concordia University Thunder. The Queens swept the Thunder while the Kings dropped the first set but bounced back by winning the next three to take the match.
See below for more information regarding each match.
Women's Volleyball – Concordia University Thunder 0 at Queens 3
Following a tough loss against The Kings University Eagles, the Queens came out with something to prove a week later against the Thunder. They jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set backed up by some great serving by outside-hitter Jaiden Ferguson (Business Administration) which led to a Thunder timeout. At 10-6, RDP and Concordia battled in quite the rally which featured multiple kill attempts and last-second digs to keep the ball alive. Outside-hitter Jolene Cook (Bachelor of Science) ended the rally with a kill. Despite the Thunder fighting back in the set, the Queens would take the first set 25-19.
It was a much closer set with the Thunder fighting to stay in the match as both teams were exchanging points one after another. But backed by some great defence from the Queens and tough serves from outside-hitter Emma Holmes (Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences) RDP jumped out to a 15-12 lead. The Queens would extend their lead following a 10-6 run and take the set 25-18.
The Queens cruised to a 25-15 victory in the third to take the match in three straight sets.
The players of the match were awarded to Thunders Emma Thompson (Bachelor of Science) and Queens Dani Wiens (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology). Thompson finished with five kills and 11 digs while Wiens finished with an outstanding 39 assists in the win.
Head Coach Talbot Walton explained Wiens started out the set strong which led to her running an effective offence the rest of the match.
"Thirteen assists-per-set is huge for a setter. Dani got into the groove of the game in the early goings of the match and was able to move our hitters around to find some gaps to attack in. But she was also big for us at the net, blocking balls as well as going on runs from the service line."
The Queens will be back in action next week Friday as they head down to Lethbridge for two matches against the Kodiaks to finish off the first half of the season. The Thunder will have tomorrow off but next Friday they will host The Kings University Eagles for the first of two matches against each other.
Men's Volleyball– Concordia University Thunder 1 at Kings 3
It was quite the set to open up this interdivisional match between the Thunder and the Kings with the teams exchanging points one after another to keep it deadlocked throughout the set. But the Thunder gained momentum at the right time and broke the 18-18 deadlock after a couple of blocks which was the turning point in the set as Concordia walked away with a 25-20 victory to lead the Kings 1-0 in the match.
The same energy continued into the second set with the team's neck-and-neck with each other. But the Kings broke the 8-8 tie with two kills and a block backed by some great serving by middle Spencer Purdie (Open Studies) to take an 11-8 into a Thunder timeout. In an intense rally that saw Concordia's net presence come up big on two occasions, Kings Zachary Neufeld (Business Administration) managed to put it away off the block for his first kill of the match to put his team up 14-10. RDP would go on an 11-4 run to close out the set with a 25-14 victory to tie the match up at one.
Outside-hitter Colby Nemeth (Bachelor of Commerce) kicked off the third set with five straight tough top-spin serves to help his team jump out a 5-1 lead. Nemeth earned his first two service aces of the match in this sequence. Following this early sequence, the Kings would cruise to a 25-18 victory to take the 2-1 lead in the match.
The Kings would cruise to a 25-15 set victory following Nemeth's first block to take the match 3-1 over the Thunder.
The players of the match were awarded to Thunders Alexi Dufour (Bachelor of Arts) and Kings Colby Nemeth. Dufour finished with a match-high 15 kills while Nemeth had a team-high 11 kills and three service aces.
Head Coach Aaron Schulha explained the coaching staff wanted to give a new starting rotation a chance because he thought they earned it after having a strong week in practice.
"The group that started in the first set was playing good volleyball in practice like they were beating our regular starting lineup consistently in gameplay drills. I thought they earned the start. I really wanted the group to perform and get the majority of the time tonight but we know in the ACAC, we cannot mess around for too long so we had to shake it up in the second set and we were able to come away with the victory."
The starting lineup in the opening set included libero Jonathan Graham (Bachelor of Business Administration), middle Spencer Purdie, setter Brett Theise (Bachelor of Business Administration), outside-hitter Nicholas Possingham (Open Studies), outside-hitter Dante Furlan (Bachelor of Business Administration) and right-side Brett Lower (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
The Kings will not be back in Red Deer until 2024 with their final two matches of the semester being on the road in Lethbridge as they clash with the Kodiaks next Friday and Saturday. As for the Thunder, they will have a two-game set against The Kings University Eagles starting in the Concordia University gymnasium on Friday.