Match 1: Titans De Limoilou 3, Holland Hurricanes 0
In the opening match of the 2017 CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship, hosted by Fanshawe College, the #1 seeded Titans de Limoilou defeated the #8 Holland Hurricanes in three straight sets 25-14, 25-14 and 25-23.
In a dominating first set, the Titans took an early lead behind some fantastic serving by All-Canadian Ludovic Martin and outside hitter Philippe Giroux. Falling behind 7-1 early, Holland could never recover, falling in the opening set by a score of 25-14.
Back-to-back aces early in the second set by Holland’s All-Canadian Kenton Dawkins gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the match, 4-2. However, the lead didn’t last long as the Titans couldn’t be stopped, with four straight kills to retake the lead. Limoilou’s middle blocker Etienne Belzile was a force at the net with a pair of blocks as the Titans rolled in the second half of the set to win 25-14.
In what turned out to be the third and final set, the Hurricanes once again jumped out to a 4-2 lead. Teams traded points back and forth with a number of kills by both teams at the net but Holland would not give up the lead. With the score tied at 18, Limoilou finally retook the lead on a massive stuff block by Nicolas Fortin. The game remained close, but in the end, the Titans won the set 25-23 to take the match in three straight sets.
Limoilou’s setter Ludavic Martin was the Titans Player of the Game while outside hitter Tynan Murphy was named the Player of the Game for Holland.
Limoilou’s Player of the Game: Ludavic Martin – 4 points (3 kills, 1 ace), 29 assists, 2 digs
Holland’s Player of the Game: Tynan Murphy – 9 kills, 1 assist, 1 dig
Match 2: Camosun Chargers 3, Medicine Hat Rattlers 2
In game two of the Championship, after being down two sets to none, the #4 seeded Camosun Chargers came back to stun the #5 seeded Medicine Hat Rattlers in five sets (18-25, 6-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-13).
In the first set, Medicine Hat jumped out to a 5-1 lead but the Chargers came right back to tie the game 5-5. The Rattlers seemed to be in control at the net and led 12-8 before Camosun called for time. Both teams came out swinging after the timeout but the Rattlers continued to maintain the four point advantage. CCAA Player of the Year Isak Helland-Hansen scored three of the final four kills for the Rattlers as they would go on to take the first set 25-18.
Hitting errors by the Chargers early in the second saw the Rattlers start the set on an impressive 7-0 run. A kill on the outside by Savana Walkingbear had the Chargers on the board but Medicine Hat continued to be a force, with a number of massive blocks. The Rattlers finished the game with an ace to go up by 19 and take the set 25-6 and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
In the third, the Chargers came out fired up and took the lead 11-10 on a huge stuff block by Walkingbear. Teams traded points back and forth with no team leading by more than one until a kill by Ryan Plante pushed the Chargers ahead by two. After another kill by Plante, the Rattlers called for a timeout down 20-17. The Rattlers came right back with another two kills by Helland-Hansen and tied the game at 24 but Camosun scored the final two points of the set to win 26-24 and force a fourth set.
Camosun came into the fourth set energized but the Rattlers remained composed and tied the game 6-6. In a back and forth affair, the Chargers were slowly pulling away and led by four 13-9 before a kill Alfred Dalevik seemed to ignite the Rattlers offense. After Medicine Hat came back and tied the game at 20, Camosun would finish the set on a 5-0 to force a fifth and deciding set.
In the final set, Camosun started the game on a 4-1 run. The Rattlers answered with a pair of kills of their own but as the teams traded sides, the Chargers still led 8-6. Just as Camosun seemed to have the advantage, a momentum shifting kill by Joel Kotyk had the Rattlers back in the game. With the game once again tied, this time at 13, a kill down the line by Walkingbear gave the Chargers a chance at match point.
An error by the Rattlers gave the final point of the match to the Chargers who came back to win the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
Haakon Ostrem was named the Player of the Game for Camosun while Medicine Hat’s Joel Kotyk was the Player of the Game for the Rattlers.
Camosun’s Player of the Game: Haakon Ostrem – 21 points (19 kills, 1 ace, 1 block), 5 digs
Medicine Hat’s Player of the Game: Joel Kotyk – 24 points (22 kills, 2 aces), 11 digs
Match 3: VIU Mariners 3, Mohawk Mountaineers 0
In the third match of the day, the #6 seeded VIU Mariners upset the #3 seeded Mohawk Mountaineers in straight sets 25-22, 25-21 and 25-23.
In the first set, after tying the game at 6, the Mariners scored three straight points forcing Mohawk to take time. After the timeout, VIU’s middle blocker Ryan Evans put up a huge solo block to push the Mariners lead to four. After a missed serve by VIU, Mohawk’s Eric Girard had a massive block of his own for the Mountaineers to close the gap to just two, 14-12. The set remained close, with Mohawk tying the game on a number of occasions, but the Mountaineers could just never take the lead. VIU would win the first set by a score of 25-22.
The Mariners jumped ahead 6-2 in the second after back-to-back stuff blocks and the Mountaineers called another early timeout. With the score 12-7 for VIU, a kill by Mohawk’s Nathan Delguidice electrified the crowd and gave the Mountaineers some life. Mohawk scored four straight and were within one before the Mariners took over at the net. VIU would score six of the next seven points including a pair of kills by Vedran Obradovic but Mohawk was not done yet. Again, the Mountaineers were able to claw back to within one but in the end, the Mariners pulled away and won 25-21.
Teams went kill for kill to start the third with both middle attacks being unable to be stopped. Mohawk led by as many as two, 11-9, but VIU came back and took the lead at 16-15 on an ace by Zach Grigg. The Mariners held the lead the rest of the set, winning a tight final set 25-23.
All-Canadian Braydon Brouwer was named the Player of the Game for VIU while outside hitter Nathan Delguidice was the Player of the Game for the Mountaineers.
VIU’s Player of the Game: Braydon Brouwer – 12 points (10 kills, 1 ace, 1 block), 3 digs
Mohawk’s Player of the Game: Nathan Delguidice – 21 kills, 3 digs
Match 4: Red Deer Kings 3, Fanshawe Falcons 0
In the final match of day 1, the #7 seeded host Falcons fell to the #2 seeded Red Deer Kings in three straight sets 25-23, 25-21 and 25-18.
On the first point of the set a packed house exploded as Fanshawe’s James Jackson scored on a kill overtop of the Red Deer block to give the host Falcons the early lead. No team led by more than one until an ace by Sam Otten gave Fanshawe the two-point advantage. Red Deer came back with three straight to take their first lead of the game, 8-7. With the score 9-7 for the Kings, teams would side out on every point until Red Deer scored two straight at 15-12 including a big block by Ty Moorman. Red Deer increased their lead to four but after a Fanshawe timeout, the Falcons closed the gap to just one, 18-17. After falling behind by as many as five, 22-17, the Falcons clawed back and were within two but the Kings won the set 25-23.
Red Deer jumped out to an early 11-4 lead in the second set including a pair of aces by outside hitter Regan Fathers. The Kings continued to role and led by as many as eight, 14-6, but Fanshawe wasn’t ready to give up. The Falcons slowly chipped away and were within four but Red Deer closed out the set and won by a final score of 25-21.
In the third, with the game tied at 6, the Kings scored three straight to once again take an early lead. The Falcons fought back and were within one after a huge kill by Jackson on the outside brought the gym to their feet. Red Deer’s Fathers was one fire, scoring kill after kill from the outside, helping push the Kings lead to six, 18-12, before the Falcons called their final timeout of the set. Red Deer was too strong down the stretch and won the set 25-18 to take the match in three straight sets.
Red Deer’s outside hitter Regan Fathers was named the Player of the Game for the Kings and outside hitter Sam Otten was the Player of the Game for the Falcons.
Red Deer’s Player of the Game: Regan Fathers – 19 points (14 kills, 5 aces), 7 digs
Fanshawe’s Player of the Game: Sam Otten – 10 points (8 kills, 2 aces), 7 digs
More information:
Box Scores – http://ccaa.ca/sports/mvball/championship/schedule/mvb2017
Photos – https://www.flickr.com/photos/ccaasportsacsc/albums/72157678128493111
Archived Broadcasts – http://www.falconstv.ca/ccaa-mens-volleyball-championship/