Volleyball takes the Queens in 3 sets
Saturday saw the Briercrest Clippers and Red Deer Queens facing off for the second time this weekend after Briercrest defeated Red Deer in four sets on Friday.
The Clippers began where they had left off last night, claiming the early lead to set the tone for the set. Although Red Deer continued to battle, they were not able to close the gap that Briercrest had opened and were forced to take a timeout down 20-16. Briercrest continued their attack after the break, and an impressive effort by Mikayla Benterud saw her put up a block and a kill to earn the 24th and 25th points, seeing the Clippers to a 25-19 set win.
Benterud continued her attack, serving four aces in a row to begin the fourth set. The Clippers rallied behind Benterud's success and took and early 9-1 lead, forcing the Queens to call a timeout. However, Red Deer was able to momentarily halt Briercrest's momentum, causing head coach Nolan Weinmaster to call a timeout at 18-13 for the Clippers. But Briercrest returned determined to take the set, capturing it 25-21.
The third set began like the second, with Briercrest taking the lead 7-1. But the Queens were able to gain some traction, and after multiple intense rallies forced Briercrest to call a timeout with the Clippers leading 14-13. However, when play continued, the Clippers came out swinging, causing head coach for Red Deer Talbot Walton to call timeouts at 19-15 and 23-15 for Briercrest. Red Deer pushed for the last few points but were not able to overcome the deficit, losing the set 25-18.
Presenting Player of the Game was Briercrest volleyball alumni Janae Rapley and Karina Peterson, and the award went to Alexandria Greenshields of Red Deer, who had 4 kills and 2 digs. The Player of the Game for Briercrest was captain Ashley Erickson, who had 26 assists, 2 aces, and 1 block. In a conversation after the game, Erickson shared, "I thought we made some good adjustments from yesterday's game and we came ready to battle. It'll be a fun season!"