Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
SASKATOON – Clutch when it counted most, the MacEwan Griffins dominated after 20 in all but one set to defeat the Saskatchewan Huskies 3-1 in a super showdown between two of the top teams in the Canada West women's volleyball ranks on Friday night.
Extending their winning streak to seven after the 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22 result, the Griffins moved past the Huskies into a tie for third in the standings at 9-4 with Thompson Rivers University. Saskatchewan, level with MacEwan before the match, fell to 8-5, tumbling into a tie for fifth with Alberta.
"It's huge. We played really, really well," said MacEwan head coach Ken Briggs.
"It's the closest game we've played all year. There was one time the point spread was more than four points. Every other time it was two, one, two, one, tied. It was very good for us coming out in the first week like that."
But the important points almost always went the Griffins' way – a trend that's just as satisfying as the victory considering how many close games the same group lost last season. It's clear MacEwan's veteran group has turned a corner.
"The experience is there," said Briggs. "They're saying the right things. We're cutting out the emotion and becoming much more tactical. That was probably the biggest discussion point after was the timeouts and the on-the-court talk is different at this point. It's tactical. They're constantly talking about how to problem solve, etc. It's a sign of maturity and a sign of understanding the game.
"I'm just really proud of them coming into a tough gym. It was a good result for Night 1."
MacEwan's balanced scoring was again on display. Led by setter Kylie Schubert, who had 53 assists to match Rebecca Martin's program record for most in a Canada West match, the Griffins came at the Huskies from all angles.
Hailey Cornelis had 17 kills, 18 digs, two aces and accounted for a match-high 21.0 points, while Haley Gilfillan had 16 kills on .519 efficiency, adding four blocks. Mckenna Stevenson chipped in 13 kills, while Lauren Holmes added 11.
"We came out of the gate and hit .342 in the first set and then gradually came back to earth," said Briggs. "They picked it up a little bit. But we were in control of all four sets. We could have easily of won that in three.
"Where we were really strong was after 16, after the technical timeout. We just seemed to take control and not doubt."
MacEwan will look to keep it rolling in the rematch on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. MT, Canada West TV presented by Co-op).
