Fredericton, NB- The St. Thomas University men's volleyball team swept the University of New Brunswick Saint John Seawolves 3-0 in their game on Saturday evening. The team sits 1st in league with a 12-2 record.
Head coach, Henri Mallet thought post game "overall it was a pretty solid game. Started a bit sloppy on the passing/defensive end but the team pulled it back together and played a fairly clean game for the rest of the match."
Brendan Murphy (Fredericton, NB) entered the game off the bench in the first set.
"Murph came in and made some digs and made some plays," said Mallet. The second-year player for the Tommies entered the game at a crucial time and did what he could to keep the team ahead. Mallet explains, it's the "best match I have seen him play. He definitely made a difference in the passing and defence which gave everyone a boost."
Dallis Melnick (Crystal Beach, ON) and Christian Christie (Langley, BC) both finished the game with 12 kills and 2 service aces.
Nathan Brown (Fredericton, NB) and Adam Hamilton (Hartland, NB) sat on the bench injured during their Grad Game. Although, the team was missing two important players they still adjusted well. Injuries come with the game, Mallet explains, "that's just normal, so guys are expected to be able to come in and fill the void". Which we saw today, Noah played a fair game and Murph played a good game.
The Seawolves fought hard but came up short in all three sets. They were led by Ryan Farell (Fredericton, NB) with a game high of 13 kills and Blake Stephenson (Hartland, NB) with team high of 10 digs.
Mallet looks forward to hosting Nationals in March but right now his main focus is the ACAA championship in Mount A. The Tommies are looking to bring the banner back home to STU.