ACAC Women's Championship Final
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
Prior to Thursday's start of the 2017-2018 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women's Volleyball Championships in Camrose, Alberta, the Lakeland College Rustlers women's volleyball team had had only one five-set match during the ACAC regular season.
It was October 28, 2017 that the Lloydminster school was treated to an early Halloween surprise, edging the visiting NAIT Ooks 20-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-19, 14-16.
The same Ooks would come back to defeat the Rustlers, in their lone match lost during regular season action, with a 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, 23-25 victory on home court February 3, 2018.
Coming in with an impressive record of 23 matches won 1 match lost 70 sets won and only 12 sets lost, the ACAC and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) defending champion Rustlers defeated the Ambrose Lions 25-17, 25-15, 25-9 in their opening match of the three-day, eight-team, and 11-game tournament..
In the semi-finals they would spike it up with the Red Deer Queens.
A Queens' team that looked as if it might dethrone the champion, winning the first two sets 25-16 and 25-21.
Lakeland would regroup to win the next three sets and match 25-22, 28-26, 15-9.
"It wasn't the result that we were envisioning for our team but it wasn't from a lack of effort. It was a tight match versus a very good team and we came up a bit short," said Red Deer coach Chris Wandler in an interview with Brent Forster.. "I am very proud of this group and we will need to bring our Queens pride tomorrow in order to finish with a medal."
Lakeland coach Austin Dyer echoed in that it was a "close match."
He continued: "That first set has been the most dominant that a team has beat us in the last two years. We got smoked.
"We knew that they were a really good team and that we were outmatched physically against them as they are quite big... bigger than us. I made a bunch of adjustments heading into the third set. If we were in trouble, I knew there were a couple of things that I could try and it was matter if they could work. I did not try to get ahead of myself. I had to stay focused at the moment and keep a level head and help my team succeed."
In the gold medal match it was the Rustlers versus Briercrest College. Both teams had won 23 matches during the regular season.
Rustlers had four 2017-2018 ACAC North All Conference selections in outside hitters Shelby Becker, Ahnika Kuse, middle blocker Alyssa Grondin and setter Rae Sigurdson. All are 4th year players except Grondin in her fifth and final season.
Briercrest boasted 2017-2018 ACAC South All Conference middle blocker Karina Peterson and setter Ashley Zacharias and her older sister Samantha Zacharias outside hitter.
Named as the ACAC Women's Volleyball Player of the Year for a fourth consecutive year, Samantha is the ACAC all time kills (1,391) and service aces (347) leader.
Briercrest had advanced with a 20-25, 25-17, 25-8, 25-19 over the host University of Alberta Augustana Vikings on Thursday followed by a semi-final against The Kings University Eagles 25-18, 25-13, 25-19.
Despite a great performance to end her five years of ACAC play, Zacharias had 14 kills, 2 service aces and 10 digs, it was not enough as Lakeland defended its title 25-17, 27-25, 25-18.
"The biggest thing for us was to have our players understand that she (Zacharias) is going to score and you are not going to shut her down," said Dyer. "We had to limit what she does and limit the rest of the team."
Of defending their ACAC title, Dyer concluded: "It is super exciting. It is awesome and the team is thrilled. All of the time and work is paying off."
Bronze medal went to Red Deer over The Kings University Eagles 25-15, 25-23, 25-18.
Lakeland will defend their CCAA title in Grande Prairie, Alberta as the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves will host and also play in the championships scheduled for March 7-10, 2018.
GOLD MEDAL BOX SCORE http://www.acac.ab.ca/sports/wvball/2017-18/postseason/boxscores/20180224_vsnn.xml
BRONZE MEDAL BOX SCORE http://www.acac.ab.ca/sports/wvball/2017-18/postseason/boxscores/20180224_vsnn.xml