Fredericton, NB - The St. Thomas University Tommies shut out the Holland Hurricanes 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-16) to clinch first place in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association standings in their final home game of the regular season.
The Tommies pulled ahead early in the first set, with Christian Christie (Langley, BC) bringing the score to 21-9 with an impressive kill. The team was energized from the start, "which is something we were focusing on after coming out a little flat yesterday," says outside hitter Adam McDougall (Calgary, AB). STU's energy continued in the second set, though Holland fought hard and kept the battle close, going up 7-4. Christie placed the ball just down the line and Gustavo Lobato (Aracaju, BRA) delivered an ace to help the Tommies reclaim their lead and go up 16-12. Lobato says his mentality was to be "as aggressive in my serves and hitting as possible", and that the energy the team had today stemmed from excitement building up towards the championship and a potential trip to Nationals.
STU would get the first point of the third set from Garret Dickson (Miramichi, NB), and continue their strong passing and sets from Henry Doucet (Truro, NS). The chemistry was evident among Lobato, Christie and Doucet, with strong performances from Brendan Murphy (Fredericton, NB) and Braden Cook (Adelaide, AUS). A tip by Cook broke the tie at 14, and STU's powerhouse offense won the third set 25-16.
Coach Henri Mallet was happy with the game today, stating that the passing "was a lot better than yesterday, giving Henry the chance to distribute the ball," adding that the consistency shown today has made them a tough team to beat. Lobato and Christie led the way with 13 kills, and Doucet had a remarkable 35 assists. Holland's success came from Luke Hyde, who had an impressive 12 kills and 5 digs. Going into their final games of the regular season, McDougall says the focus is to "play the best we can heading into the playoffs", adding that though they're happy to clinch number one seed, "the real goal is a championship."
"We were just having fun out there," says McDougall, and the Tommies hope to continue the fun next weekend in their final regular season games against the UStA Dragons. Holland will finish off their regular season at home, hosting the UNBSJ Seawolves on March 5th and 6th.
Recap: Martina Barclay
Photo: SRM Photography