Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – The comments from Alexei Walisser following MacEwan's tough 3-0 loss to Winnipeg on Saturday cut through the heartbreak and set the team on the proper path to a reset.
"To have two games that were very winnable, that we had opportunities to win, definitely stings, but it's just an opportunity to reset, get better and come into Monday practice ready to go take on a Sask team that's riding pretty high," said the fifth-year Griffins' outside hitter. "So, we're going to have to find a way to elevate our game in order to match the standard of this league.
"That's all you can do. You can't sit here and sulk about it. We have to find a way to reset, find a way to be better, find a way to close out sets when we have that opportunity."
So, that's exactly what the Griffins have been doing the past few days as they prepare for their first road trip of the season at Saskatchewan on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m., both Canada West TV).
The Griffins are coming in off a straight-sets loss to Winnipeg last Saturday that could have gone either way as all three sets went to extra points (29-27, 27-25, 29-27).
"I think Alexei definitely hit the nail on the head," said MacEwan head coach Brad Poplawski. "That was exactly our thing. We were disappointed about the result last week, but not disappointed in the process that got us those close points."
And so, they've returned to practice eager and willing to improve, specifically working on being better on clutch points.
"It's hard to replicate pressure and the feelings you get in training," said Poplawski. "So, that's what we're trying to do is challenge them. It's one thing to serve in training, but when it's 24-all in a third set …
"So, we're trying to bring a little bit of that into training, just the importance of the little things. That's what we're coming back to – like Alexei said, we need that two per cent (more). When a guy doesn't get the dig or doesn't go for a ball (in training), it's like 'hey guys, that's the two per cent.' In training, it's just another ball coming, but in a game you might not get another chance.
"So, I think it's more of a mindset than a physical thing – treating every rep as an opportunity to get better. I know as coaches we really harp on that, but when you see how close we were last weekend, I think it does hammer home a little bit."
They'll need to be at their best to challenge Saskatchewan, who are coming off a big weekend split against perennial powerhouse Alberta.
"They're a big, physical team," said Poplawski. "They got a big split against U of A, so they're playing at a very high level. We saw them in preseason last year, but in league with COVID (forcing regional play in 2021-22), we obviously haven't seen them in a long time.
"So, you're kind of relying more on video than in-person stuff with them. Just watching them on film, yeah, they do a lot of things well. It will be a big challenge for us."
