Three Stars: Kilbreath, Nashim, Bolink earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Women's basketball student-athlete Noelle Kilbreath is the MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after her performance during a weekend split against Calgary.
The second-year guard led the Griffins in scoring both nights as they upset the U SPORTS No. 1-ranked Dinos 71-68 Friday before losing a close one, 71-64 to them on Saturday.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Ethan Nashim of the men's volleyball team and third star Erica Bolink of the women's volleyball team.
It's the second appearance on the list this season for Kilbreath, who was named second star on Oct. 5.
Both Nashim and Bolink are appearing for the first time in 2021-22.
1st STAR: Noelle Kilbreath, G, women's basketball
Calgary, AB, second-year, Science
The Griffins women's basketball team had several players worthy of a star this week, but Kilbreath stands out after leading the team in scoring both games of a weekend split with the Calgary Dinos and gets the nod in MacEwan's top spot.
There isn't any way the Griffins pull off the impressive 71-68 upset over the U SPORTS No. 1 seed on Friday without her; at one point the second-year scored 11-straight points in the second half.
Kilbreath finished with 18 points in just 17 minutes, adding a rebound and an assist.
In Saturday's 71-64 loss, she again led the Griffins with 17 points in 27 minutes, adding five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
For the season, Kilbreath leads the Griffins with 13.3 points per game.
Ethan Nashim had 29 kills in MacEwan's weekend road series at Calgary (Eduardo Perez photo).
2nd STAR: Ethan Nashim, OH, men's volleyball
Lac La Biche, AB, fourth-year, Arts
Playing in just his second weekend of action in the Canada West ranks after transferring to MacEwan from the ACAC's Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves, Nashim led the team with 29 total kills against Calgary.
In Friday's 3-0 loss (25-12, 25-19, 25-20), he led the Griffins with 14.5 points – 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage with four digs and a block.
In Saturday's 3-1 defeat (27-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-12), Nashim again led MacEwan with 15 kills on a .116 percentage, adding 11 digs, three blocks and accounting for 16.5 points.
For the season, Nashim is tied for the team lead in kills with 37 and is second in points with 39.5.
Erica Bolink's Friday night performance in Calgary came close to breaking MacEwan's single game rookie record for hitting efficiency (Eduardo Perez photo).
3rd STAR: Erica Bolink, OH, women's volleyball
Victoria, BC, first-year, Science
First-year outside hitter Bolink stood out for the Griffins during a weekend road trip to Calgary, leading the team in kills in both matches against the Dinos.
In Friday's 3-0 loss (25-19, 25-22, 25-21), she had nine kills on .368 hitting efficiency, adding eight digs and a block, while accounting for 9.0 points.
If she had one more attempt, she potentially would have broken the program's rookie efficiency record of .364, set by Mckenna Stevenson in 2015-16, but the mark only counts games where an attacker had a minimum of 20 attempts (Bolink had 19).
In Saturday's 3-1 defeat (19-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-16), she led the Griffins with seven kills on a .077 efficiency, adding two aces, seven digs, an assist, three blocks and accounting for 10.5 points.
For the season, Bolink is second on the Griffins with 24 kills, 19 digs and 28.0 points.
