The Queens come home with two wins on the road
Medicine Hat, October 29 - The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens volleyball team came into this match after a come from behind 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat College Rattlers yesterday evening. The Queens were looking to continue their winning ways and come back to Red Deer to with a two-win weekend.
The Queens Volleyball squad came out ready for game two of this weekend in Medicine Hat. They were covering tips and hitting the ball very well. This would lead to a 14-8 lead in the first set before the Rattlers called a timeout. After an amazing serve by Queens Jaiden Ferguson (Business Administration General), this caused the Rattlers to scramble to get the ball over, giving the visiting team a chance to swing for the win. Setter Dani Wiens shot it out to the outside for Lauren Junck (Bachelor of Arts Psychology) and she was able to swing away for the first set win. The Queens would take the opening set 25-17. This was the Queens fourth consecutive set win.
It was more of a typical South Division volleyball matchup in the second. Both teams were playing their game. They were going back and forth with each other, but it was the Rattlers that would take a late four-point lead over the visiting Queens which led to Head Coach Talbot Walton calling a timeout. Facing set point twice, the Queens were able to back within five points of the home team but could not return a kill from the Rattlers, who would take the second set 25-19 to tie the match up at one.
It was a quick start for the Queens. Junck had the topspin serve working well for her as the Rattlers were struggling to get their offence going and just could not return the serve. This sparked a timeout decision by the home team which didn't do much as the visiting Queens were able to come out of the break continuing their third set dominance. The polytechnic would take a 19-11 lead into the Rattlers final timeout of the set after some great offensive and defensive work from the visiting team. With the Queens receiving on set point, they were able to swing for the win. A perfect pass by Junck set up Maria Brouwer (Bachelor of Science Nursing) for a nice set to the outside for Ferguson, who would put it right to the floor for a 25-14 victory over Medicine Hat.
Once again it was the Rattlers showing off their resiliency and composure in the fourth set after losing their second set of the match, putting them into a do-or-die situation. But it was the Queens showing why they're a force to be reckon with in the South Division by showing off their closing out abilities. With the Rattlers facing match point, they would put up quite a fight to extend the match with a nice final rally to finish off the weekend. It was Randi Gill (Bachelor of Science Biological Science) on the offside who would secure the match for the Queens with a kill.
The players of the game went to Lauren Junck of the Queens and Montana Wright from the Rattlers. Junck was hitting and serving the ball well with that aggressive top spin serve.
The Queens will finally be home next weekend when they take on the University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. The match will start just after 6 pm.