Kodiak men tame the Lions
SWEEP KEEPS VOLLEYBALL TEAM IN TIGHT BATTLE FOR SECOND IN THE ACAC SOUTH
The Lethbridge College Kodiaks men’s volleyball team has started the second half of the season with a sweep.
The Kodiaks handed the Ambrose College Lions a 3-0 setback (25-19, 25-16, 25-19) during Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play Saturday night in Calgary.
Saturday’s win completes a home-and-home series sweep after the Kodiaks downed the Lions 3-0 Friday night at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium to improve to 95 on the season.
In the women’s game, the Kodiaks and Lions battle to five sets before the Lions prevailed in the final set (1525, 27-25, 21-25, 25-16, 6-15) to earn a split with Lethbridge.
The men’s wins keep the Kodiaks in the thick of a four-team race for second place in the ACAC South Division with the Medicine Hat Rattlers, Red Deer Kings and Briercrest Clippers, all 9-5.
The SAIT Trojans lead the South Division at 12-2.
Carter Hansen led the Kodiaks with seven kills Saturday night, while Mike Hummel and Dax Whitehead each had five. Hummel also had four blocked shots.
Matt Primrose had 12 digs for the Kodiaks and also put up three service aces.
Zach Wikenheiser had nine digs and Whitehead added eight.
Like they did Friday night in Lethbridge when the Kodiaks won in five sets, the two women’s teams pushed it to the limit in the rematch Saturday before the Lions scored a little payback.
The 1-1 weekend puts the Kodiaks at 9-5 and into third place in the ACAC South Division, four points back of the 11-3 Red Deer Queens, who are on a seven-game winning streak and added to those totals with a pair of wins over the Olds Broncos.
The split also keeps the Kodiaks four points ahead of the fourth-place Lions (7-7).
Kristine Ward paced the Kodiaks with 15 kills Saturday night and Taya Mikado added 12. Ward added four service aces.
Mikado had 20 digs, while Ward and Carmen Nadeau added 16 and 15, respectively.
Megan Szott added another 13 digs.
The Kodiaks have a bye this weekend and return to action Jan. 19 when they head to Medicine Hat to take on the Rattlers.
The Rattlers come to the Val Matteotti Gymnasium Jan. 20 for the second game of the weekend.