Griffins crack U SPORTS top 10 ranking for first time since 2014

Hailey Cornelis, left, Jordyn Thomas and Lauren Holmes celebrate a point in a match earlier this season. The 16-6 Griffins have moved into the U SPORTS top 10 for the first time this season (Robert Antoniuk photo).
Hailey Cornelis, left, Jordyn Thomas and Lauren Holmes celebrate a point in a match earlier this season. The 16-6 Griffins have moved into the U SPORTS top 10 for the first time this season (Robert Antoniuk photo).

MacEwan Athletics

The MacEwan Griffins women's volleyball team has achieved its first U SPORTS top-10 ranking of the season.

Tuesday's latest rankings have the Griffins at No. 8, up from their previous season best 11th a week ago.

It's the first time MacEwan has cracked the top-10 women's volleyball rankings since early in the 2014 season when they achieved a No. 8 ranking after beating UBC twice on the opening weekend of the campaign.

"It's just another first that we've accomplished this month that shows we're playing good volleyball right now," said head coach Ken Briggs.

Along the way to winning eight of 10 second semester matches, the Griffins clinched the first Canada West playoff spot in program history.

They're now in a fight for home-court advantage in the opening round and this weekend's series is important to that task. The 16-6 Griffins will welcome the 15-5 Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (5 p.m., David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV presented by Co-op).