In their second meeting of the season, the St. Thomas University Tommies came out on top winning all three sets against the Mount Allison Mounties, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23.
The last time the two teams met, the game went to four sets, so first-year STU player Ryley Horton (Calgary, AB) says they knew it would be a tough game. The Tommies' mentality going in was "to play like we know how to play, and to not give up", she says. Despite the 3-0 win for STU, this Saturday brought yet another tight game, with the Tommies winning the first set by a score of 25-23.
The second set brought back and forth play and long, exciting rallies. The Mounties were serving well, but Maddie MacGregor (Truro, NS) and Abby Lanteigne (Fredericton, NB) (each with 5 kills apiece throughout the match) helped the Tommies pull ahead near the end of the set for a 25-19 win.
The intensity continued in the third, where a well-timed ace from Caitlin Jones (Fredericton, NB) and a tip by rookie Chloe Little (Rexton, NB) brought the score to 21-20 for STU. Despite being down 16-12 earlier in the set, the Tommies maintained their focus until the end, with rookies playing a vital role as Horton would get the winning point for STU. The two teams had spectators at the edge of their seat as the Tommies edged out the third set 25-23.
First year players Chloe Little (Rexton, NB), Ryley Horton (Calgary, AB) and Julia Campbell (Sussex, NB) each had a chance to sub in today and were excited to be back at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym. Little says it felt "amazing to be back in our home gym after months of being off", adding that the fans in the crowd added to the experience. Campbell says she was really happy to have the chance to help the team score points and her main focus was just to set up the hitters with the best possible sets. She adds that after having previously lost to the Mounties, "we really wanted to pull out a win this time around", and that she can speak for the whole team when she says "we were very happy with the outcome of today's match." The team hopes to keep up the intensity in the coming weeks and if they're successful, Little says "I don't think anyone can get in our way."
The Mounties had a trio of players with a game high 7 kills; Sophie Landry, Jadyn Boyles, and Erica Astephen.
The Mounties will get a chance to turn their fortunes tomorrow when they host the Crandall University Chargers. The Tommies finished the weekend 2-0 without dropping a set, and will prepare for their next match on February 25th when they host the Chargers.
Recap: Martina Barclay
Photo: SRM Photography