MONTREAL -- Maude Babin exploded for a single-game season-high of 28 points as the Montreal Carabins rallied from a one-set deficit to hand McGill a tough 3-2 setback in women's volleyball at Love Competition Hall, Friday. 

After dropping the first set 25-21 to McGill, the Carabins bounced back to win 25-20, 25-23, 23-25 and 15-5 in a tug of war that lasted two hours and two minutes.

"We were not as competitive in the fifth set as we were in the first four," said head coach Rachele Beliveau. "However, there were some positives. We played more relaxed today, not as tense. We were more focused and in the game. Offensively, we played well but made some errors on our serve-receive, which is an area where Montreal is strong."

UdeM had a distinct statistical advantage in kills (60-42), aces (15-9), assists (55-41) and digs (76-58). Both sides ended up with 13 stuff blocks.

Babin, who amassed 23 kills, was one of five Carabins to reach double-digits in scoring.

Three members of the Martlets also tallied in that stratosphere. Rookie Victoria Iannotti, who was making her first career start, paced the McGill squad with 16 points. The 5-foot-9 power-hitter from Montreal had an impressive debut a day after winning a $10,000 recruitment bursary at the Quebec Foundation awards gala, where teammates Claire Vercheval and Rowan Fletcher also won $2,000 bursaries. Iannotti, a 20-year-old software engineering freshman, collected 14 kills, two stuff blocks and a team-leading 11 digs.

"We decided to start her because we need to try something different," explained Beliveau. "She has a positive attitude and is a good fighter. She still has a lot to learn at this level but is an aggressive, powerful hitter. That gave us the option to sub in with an experienced veteran like Elisabeth Perrault in the power, middle or right-side positions. Perrault ended up playing in all five sets, so it worked out for both players."

The team's next leading scorers were Claire Vercheval of Ste. Julie, Que., and Charlene Robitaille, from Mont St. Gregoire, Que., with 15.5 and 12 points, respectively.

Rookie setter Audrey Trottier of Longueuil, Que., contributed 34 assists, 10 digs and one service ace in a losing cause.

McGill, which finished first last year, now finds themselves in danger of missing the playoffs. With nine games left on a challenging schedule, they sit fifth in the six-team RSEQ conference with a 4-7 record, two games behind the final post-season berth, currently held by third-place Laval (6-3) and fourth-place Sherbrooke (6-4).

The Martlets will now take a month-long break for exams and holidays before heading to U of T for three exhibition games in early January, against Ryerson (Jan. 3), McMaster (Jan. 4) and Toronto (Jan. 5). The regular season resumes with a critical home-court contest against Laval, one of two remaining meetings against the Rouge et Or.

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