Champs, finally
Holland College men take home first-ever ACAA title; women lose five-set thriller in final
The Holland College men took home their first-ever Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association volleyball championship on Sunday.
The Hurricanes posted a straight-set victory – 25-23, 2516, 25-23 – over the UNBSJ Seawolves in Truro, N.S.
It’s also the first conference championship won by a Holland Hurricanes’ volleyball team – men or women.
Brett Butler took home player-of-the-game honours with 10 kills and nine digs. Dominique Ryan had a team high 25 digs while Tynan Murphy led the ‘Canes with 10 digs.
Murphy and Jeff MacDonald both had three blocks for the ‘Canes.
Holland College advanced to the final with a 3-0 victory over the Universite de Sainte-Anne Dragons on Saturday. Scores were 25-19, 25-18, 25-22.
Saturday
Saturday, Butler led the way with nine kills. Tynan Murphy and Gordon Veitch added seven and five, respectively. Ryan had 20 assists and Marcus Lapointe had 12 digs.
The Hurricanes now travel to the national collegiate championship, hosted by Fanshawe College, in London, Ont., from March 9 to 12.
The Hurricanes entered the conference championship as the No. 1 seed after an 11-4 (won-lost) regular season.
The other seven teams qualifying for the nationals are the Camosun College Chargers (PACWEST champions), VIU Mariners (PACWEST runnerup), Red Deer College Kings (ACAC champions), Medicine Hat College Rattlers (ACAC runner-up), Fanshawe College Falcons (hosts, OCAA), Mohawk College Mountaineers (OCAA champions) and the Titans Limoilou (RSEQ champions).
Women
On the women’s side, the Hurricanes fell in a five-set thriller to the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics in Sunday’s title match.
The ‘Canes dropped the first set 25-22, before taking the next two sets 25-20, 25-18.
The Mystics forced a fifth set with a 25-17 win in Set 4.
The ‘Canes would not be able to get anything significant going in the fifth set, and would drop it 15-7 forcing the ‘Canes to settle for their third straight conference silver medal.
Alice Marques was the player of the game with 11 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Gracie Ferguson had a team-high 20 assists while Dana Trainor was all over the court recording 25 digs.
Ferguson added 19 digs and two aces while Trainor had seven assists and a kill.
The women advanced to the final with a 3-0 win over the Mount Allison Mounties in Saturday’s semifinal match. Scores were 25-14, 25-18, 25-13.
In that match, Marques recorded 10 kills to lead the way with Brittany States adding six. Ferguson had a match-high 28 assists along with two aces and five digs.
Trainor had a match-high 13 digs while Marques added eight in the win.