Kings and Queens fall in four sets to the Clippers
Red Deer, February 2, 2024 – Despite dropping the first set in both matches, the Briercrest College Clippers men's and women's teams came back and took the next three sets to defeat both the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings and Queens on Friday night.
See below for more information regarding each match.
Queens Volleyball – Queens 1 vs Briercrest College Clippers 3
In the first few points of the set, it was very much a close match with both teams exchanging kills with each other to keep it a one-point game. But in the late stages of the set, the Clippers managed to jump out to a four-point lead. The Queens were able to battle back with some hard work on defence to tie it up at 21 with defensive specialist Madelyn DeZutter (Bachelor of Education) serving four in a row from the line. The Polytechnic would take a 23-21 lead into a Clippers timeout. Outside-hitter Jaiden Ferguson (Business Administration) put away her fifth kill of the match to help her Queens to a 25-23 victory. Ferguson was later named the player of the match. She had 12 kills and nine digs.
The second set was even closer than the first with both teams staying in rallies with hard work on defence. This kept the score very close right until the Clippers took a 22-19 lead which led to the Polytechnic calling a timeout. Out of the short break, the Queens earned the next four points which forced Briercrest College to call a timeout with outside-hitter Morgan Boisvert (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology) putting two of those balls away for kills. But the Clippers battled back to take the second 27-25 with back-to-back services aces from outside-hitter Julia Beers (Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry) who was later named the player of the match. Beers had a match-high 18 kills in the win.
In yet another close set, the Clippers pulled away in the late stages of the third to take a 24-21 lead into a Queens timeout following a return error. The Polytechnic would take the point following the short break but Clippers middle Rachel Stead (Bachelor of Business Administration) put away her ninth kill of the match to give her team a 25-22 victory.
The Clippers pulled away in the late moments of the fourth to take a 22-19 lead which forced the Queens to call the first timeout of the set after it being close right up until this point. The Polytechnic would earn the point out of the short break but after a setting error, the Clippers took the match with a 25-20 victory.
Head Coach Talbot Walton explained the importance of winning the serving and passing battle in volleyball which played a key role in the Clippers coming away with the victory in Red Deer.
"At every level of volleyball, one of the key characteristics is your ability to win the serving and passing battle. I think that was one of the differences. They served the ball a little more aggressively which led to a couple of aces. When we were serving, we were not able to get them out of system enough which was the biggest factor in tonight's match."
These two teams will clash in a rematch tomorrow at 1 pm.
Kings Volleyball – Kings 1 vs Briercrest College Clippers 3
The Briercrest College Clippers draw first blood in the first of two matches against the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings on Friday night in the Fas Gas – On the Run Gymnasium,
After back-to-back kills which led to the Kings taking a 22-20 lead, the Clippers called the first timeout of the set. Out of the break, the Polytechnic would score three out of the next four points to take the set 25-21 with the set point coming off an attacking error.
Following the first set loss, the Clippers shook it off early and jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the second. But back-to-back aces by middle Spencer Purdie (Open Studies) saw the Kings cut the lead down to just two points. The Clippers would earn the next four points to extend their lead to six which forced the Kings to call a timeout. But the Kings managed to make it a two-point game late in the second which led to a couple of timeouts called by Briercrest College. But the Clippers turned the page and took the set 27-25 off a block from outside hitter Karym Coleman (Master of Arts in Leadership and Management).
The Clippers continued their strong ways into the third set and found themselves up 19-16 late in the game. But some great serving by the Kings tied it up at 21 and they would even take a 22-21 lead before the Clippers tied the match back up. After facing a possible set point, Briercrest College called a timeout. Following the short break, the Clippers went on a 5-2 run to take the third set 28-26 and go up 2-1 in the match.
Down by a set, the Kings found themselves in trouble in the early goings of the fourth. After the Clippers went up 18-15, the Polytechnic called a timeout. Four points, RDP would use their second and final timeout of the set. Coleman called the match with his 22nd kill to take the fourth set 25-19. He was later named the player of the match.
Setter Tom Wass (Open Studies) was awarded the Kings honour with an outstanding 41 assists in the loss.
Head Coach Aaron Schulha explained the team lost the middle battle tonight which was one of the big factors in the loss tonight.
"I was not too worried about Coleman finishing with 21 kills as we were able to hold him to a 20 per cent attack efficiency. They beat us up pretty well in the middle. Their best guys were better than our best