SHERBROOKE --
Claire Vercheval of Ste. Julie, Que., and Montrealer
Emilie Matte De Grasse scored 20 points apiece as McGill defeated Sherbrooke 3-1 in RSEQ women's volleyball at the Pavillon Univestrie, Friday. The set scores were 25-20, 24-26, 25-17 and 26-24.
McGill, which leads the Quebec conference with a 16-3 record and one game left to play, has tied the school's single-season win record, which was set in an era when there were more than 20 regular season games. They previously posted a 16-5 mark in 2005-06, followed by a 16-9 record the next season. The Martlets can break the record with a victory in their season finale at UQAM on Sunday afternoon.
Sherbrooke, which dropped to 7-12, was officially eliminated from participation in post-season play.
"It was a close game with a lot of intensity, Sherbrooke needed to win today to make the playoffs and it was the best game they played all year," said Martlet head coach
Rachele Beliveau. "We had to play tough, our game was inconsistent but we were able to pull it out."
McGill players have reached the 20-point plateau only four times this season and this marked the first time that two players reached that mark in the same game.
Vercheval, a 6-foot-1 power-hitter, earned her points on the strength of 20 kills. She added 13 digs on defence and one assist.
Matte De Grasse, a fifth-year physical education senior, tallied 16 kills, two service aces, and three stuff blocks. The 5-foot-10 power-hitter added 16 digs and posted a team-leading 2.31 passing ratio out of 3.
Other Martlets to reach double-digits in scoring where
Charlene Robitaille (14 pts) and
Rowan Fletcher (11.5 pts).
The team registered a season-high 58 assists, led by sophomore
Andreanne Tremblay, a 5-foot-10 setter, who had a single-game career-best 48 in just four sets.
"We received well and our defence has improved a lot," noted Beliveau. "We still have to work on some things but I feel like it's all coming together nicely."
The Vert & Or were led by
Maude Frechette with 15.5 points followed by
Veronique David (11 pts) and
Maude Fournier (8 pts).
Both teams return to the court on Sunday, Feb. 17 for their final regular-season game, Sherbrooke (7-12) hosts Laval (11-8), while McGill visits UQAM (10-9) with a 2 p.m. start.
2018-19 RSEQ Women's Volleyball Standings
(20-game season; Top four teams qualify for playoffs)
| 1 |
x-McGill |
19 |
16 |
3 |
50 |
22 |
1690 |
1491 |
0.842 |
0.0 |
32 |
| 2 |
x-Montréal |
19 |
12 |
7 |
42 |
31 |
1620 |
1554 |
0.632 |
4.0 |
24 |
| 3 |
x-Laval |
19 |
11 |
8 |
39 |
32 |
1577 |
1590 |
0.579 |
5.0 |
22 |
| 4 |
x-UQAM |
19 |
10 |
9 |
40 |
36 |
1715 |
1603 |
0.526 |
6.0 |
20 |
| 5 |
Sherbrooke |
19 |
7 |
12 |
35 |
42 |
1644 |
1690 |
0.368 |
9.0 |
14 |
| 6 |
Ottawa |
19 |
1 |
18 |
13 |
56 |
1358 |
1676 |
0.053 |
15.0 |
2 |
x-clinched a playoff berth
