Box Score
MONTREAL –Clara Poire of Blainville, Que., scored a game-high 18 points as the McGill women's volleyball team opened their preseason with a promising 3-0 victory over the archrival Montreal Carabins at Love Competition Hall, Sunday. The set scores were 25-23, 25-14 and 25-23.
 
Given that exhibition play is extremely limited this season, the teams agreed to play an unofficial extra two sets, which McGill swept 25-23 and 25-19.
 
Poiré, a 6-foot-2 right-side hitter, registered 15 kills, one ace and two blocks. The 22-year-old kinesiology junior also added five digs.
 
"The girls were very happy to finally play a game and I was quite pleased with what I saw today," said Rachele Beliveau, in her 31st year as head coach of the Martlets, whose main roster features four freshmen, five sophomores, seven juniors and two seniors. There are four others who are expected to be redshirted.

"I had a pretty good chance to evaluate everybody who played today. After having a year and a half without any games, I was expecting a little more up-and-down-play but we showed consistency. We have a lot of height and depth this year but we have almost an entirely new team and I don't really know our potential yet."
 
Teammates Victoria Iannotti of Montreal and Charlene Robitaille from St. Jean, Que., also reached double digits in scoring. Iannotti collected 13.5 points (on the strength of 10 kills) and Robitaille had 10 points in addition to a game-high 12 digs.
 
Robitaille, a six-foot senior who normally plays exclusively as a middle blocker, saw significant time on the back line.
 
"It was the first time that I recall having a middle play play regularly on the back row," said Beliveau. "Robitaille has good ball perception and is strong on serve receive and that really helps to stabilize the back line on the first contact. Through the year-long pandemic, we worked a lot with her on serve receive and she also spent time on that during the beach volleyball season."
 
Senior setter Andreanne Tremblay, a medical student from Longueuil, Que., collected 22 assists, along with three digs, one ace and a pair of assisted stuff blocks.
 
Leading the Carabins was Olympe Desmedt and Florence Cloutier, with 12 and 10.5 points, respectively.
 
McGill will host Sherbrooke in another preseason game on Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. The Martlets normally plays about a dozen preseason contests but the match-up with the Vert & Or is expected to be the last before the regular campaign begins in mid-October.
 
MARTLETS MURMURS: Charlene Robitaille and Victoria Iannotti have been named as co-captains this year. Senior Catherine Vercheval of Ste. Julie, Que., and Melanie Dormann, a junior from Ottawa, will serve as the alternate captains.


SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Off.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca