Trojans rally to clip the Clippers
If anyone needed convincing that bronze medals still matter to the players, this game would be example 'A'. The SAIT Trojans and Briercrest Clippers battled through an epic five-set match, with SAIT coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win the match. The victory gave the Trojans the bronze medal at the Murray Chevrolet Cadillac 2020 ACAC Men's Volleyball Championship in Lethbridge.
The Trojans also won bronze last season, and it is SAIT's third-straight ACAC medal after winning the conference championship in 2017-18.
"This is my first year and we've changed the style of play," said Trojans head coach Dallas Soonias. "What we've built this year will make us stronger next year. We built a foundation this year, next year we can hopefully keep building. Our program is getting stronger."
The first two sets were close, but it was Briercrest getting the better of the Trojans each time. Briercrest's Belizean duo of ACAC Player of the Year Karym Coleman (second year, BA Business Administration, Belize City, Belize) and north division all-conference selection Bryton Codd (second year, MA Leadership and Management, Belize City, Belize) led the Clippers to 25-22 and 25-20 wins that put the Clippers on the verge of a bronze medal. Coleman combined for five kills and three aces through the first two sets, while Codd had nine kills and three blocks.
The Trojans, however, still had some fight left and proved it over the next two tightly-contested sets.
"I wanted to put six guys on the floor who were going to go after it," said Soonias. "We made a couple changes, found six guys who went for it and I'm very happy with how they played."
SAIT got on the board with a 25-23 victory in the third set and then evened the match with another 25-23 win in the fourth. SAIT's Jarrett Noel (third year, Geographic Information Systems, Calgary) led the Trojans attack throughout the entire match, registering five of his team-high 18 kills in the fourth set.
That set up the winner-takes-bronze fifth set, the first time a match had gone the distance throughout the championship weekend. Riding a wave of momentum after back-to-back set wins, the Trojans built a quick 9-5 lead. The Clippers called a timeout to settle its ship, and it seemed to work, as Briercrest won six of the next eight points to tie the set at 11, capped by a Coleman ace. But the Trojans had one final burst left, and won four of the next five points, finished off by a Noel kill to take the set 15-12 and complete the comeback win.
The Clippers' Coleman had an incredible 28 kills to lead the match. For Briercrest, it was a tough end to a weekend that began with a come-from-behind upset win over north division top seed NAIT.
"I'm just incredibly proud of our guys to understand that we've been given gifts and opportunity and today's a new day," said Clippers coach Nigel Mullan. "I'm still thankful to get to be a part of a team that believes and has the ability to have a long term vision and understanding what we're trying to accomplish."
Players of the game:
Briercrest – Bryton Codd
SAIT – Maddux Greves