MONTREAL --
Mila Krunic scored a team-high 12 points as seventh-ranked McGill rallied for a 3-1 victory over No.10 Montreal in a key RSEQ women's volleyball showdown for first place at Love Competition Hall, Sunday. After dropping the opening set 18-25, the Martlets roared back to sweep 25-21, 25-21 and 25-19.
Combined with a similar 3-1 come-from-behind road victory at Laval the previous night, it marked the first time in team history that McGill had swept the two perennial Quebec champions in back-to-back meetings. Over the past dozen years, Laval has won captured nine RSEQ titles and Montreal has won three. In the 45 years since the Quebec league was formed in 1972, the Rouge et Or lead all teams with 24 conference crowns, followed by Montreal (12) and Sherbrooke (9).
"A nice team victory and a good effort. For the second straight game, we came back after losing the first set," said Martlet head coach
Rachele Beliveau. "We changed our game-plan and tried to execute more effectively, we started to serve better toward the middle and put the Carabins in some difficult situations."
Montreal had a 45-33 margin in kills, a 49-34 advantage in digs and an 11-10 edge in stuff blocks.
Krunic, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker from Oakville, Ont., earned her points with seven kills, two service aces, and three stuff blocks. The mathematics senior added one dig on defence.
Fifth-year veteran
Emilie Matte de Grasse and
Claire Vercheval added nine points apiece. The the latter registered seven kills, onr ace and a block, to go along with nine digs. Vercheval had six kills and three aces. Teammates
Rowan Fletcher and
Charlene Ribitaille added eight and seven points, respectively.
"Montreal is a good serving team and we did very well on serve receiving today," noted Beliveau. Our overall passing ratio was 1.97 (out of 3)."
Ariane Lavoie-Boutin, a mechanical engineering senior from La Prairie, Que., led McGill in passing (2.25). Sophomore
Andreanne Tremblay, the team's setter from Longueuil, Que., registered 25 assists, 12 digs, two kills, one ace and one block.
The Carabins had three players in double figures, led by
Adryanna Dorismond-Rodrigue with 15.5 points, followed by
Camille Santerre (10.5) and
Marianne Boulanger (10).
Six games remain before playoffs for the Martlets, who are slated to play each school once more in the six-team RSEQ conference.
McGill (11-3) hosts Sherbrooke (5-8) at Love Competition Hall on Friday, Jan. 25, with tip-off slated for 6:30 p.m.
A victory will clinch a playoff berth for the Martlets, who could still finish anywhere from first to fifth. Montreal (9-4) also returns to the court the same day, when they play host to third-place Laval (8-5).
2018-19 RSEQ Women's Volleyball Standings
| 1 |
McGill |
14 |
11 |
3 |
35 |
19 |
1242 |
1121 |
0.786 |
0.0 |
22 |
| 2 |
Montréal |
13 |
9 |
4 |
29 |
20 |
1087 |
1039 |
0.692 |
1.5 |
18 |
| 3 |
Laval |
13 |
8 |
5 |
29 |
22 |
1131 |
1146 |
0.615 |
2.5 |
16 |
| 4 |
UQAM |
13 |
5 |
8 |
25 |
28 |
1201 |
1141 |
0.385 |
5.5 |
10 |
| 5 |
Sherbrooke |
13 |
5 |
8 |
25 |
30 |
1169 |
1197 |
0.385 |
5.5 |
10 |
| 6 |
Ottawa |
12 |
1 |
11 |
11 |
35 |
917 |
1103 |
0.083 |
9.0 |
2 |
