Lale FassoneOn December 1, the University of Alberta’s Pandas volleyball played the University of Regina (U of R) Cougars. The Pandas came out victorious by winning three sets back-to-back (25-16, 25-21, 25-15).
In the following game on December 2, the Pandas once again won all three sets (25-11, 25-11, 25-14) in only 57 minutes. These back-to-back wins placed the Pandas at seventh in the USports Womens Volleyball ranking.
With a 10-2 record, the U of A is currently second in the Canada West. They are right behind the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, who have a 11-1 record.
Before beginning the game, the crowd, management, and players held a moment of silence for the Thompson Rivers University men’s volleyball team. A recent car crash severely injured two players and killed another.
Pool and Kolody help achieve strong leads against the Cougars
The first set began with Pandas player Mackenzie Pool getting the first kill. Pool accumulated nine kills and three aces Friday night, making her one of the leaders in the game.
After the first point, the rest of the first set played out back-and-forth until both teams tied at 14-14. From here, with the help of setter Justine Kolody, the Pandas were able to take the lead with an additional 11 points. The Cougars only gained two more. In this set, Kolody had 10 assists, two kills, and a solo block.
Kolody managed a total of 27 assists in the game, then surpassed this on Saturday with 31 assists.
The second set started strong for the Cougars with a 9-4 lead. However, shortly after, Pool and Allie Moore achieved breakthrough kills. This was further enhanced with Misha Hameed‘s serves, enabling a fast recovery from 18 to 23 points after neck-in-neck gameplay with the Cougars. This set saw the Pandas use up all their allotted timeouts.
In the third and final set, the Pandas had an early lead of 11-1. This set had multiple aces by the Pandas and a continuation of iron-wall blocks by Pool and Ronnie Dickson. Nearing the end, when the score was 20-5, the Cougars made a last-minute effort and closed the gap slightly. The Pandas ended the set 25-15.
The following day, the Pandas accomplished a clean sweep once again with a total of 41 kills, compared to the 37 from the night before. The Pandas led with larger gaps, allowing little room for a Cougars comeback.
These two games were the last for the Pandas until the New Year’s Classic at the Saville Centre from December 18-30.
