CHICOUTIMI, QUE – Melanie Dormann scored a game-high 13.5 points as No.10 ranked McGill blanked the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi 25-14, 25-14 and 25-19, in women's university volleyball, at the Centre Sportif de l'UQAC, Saturday.
 
The result gave McGill a three-game season series sweep in its inaugural head-to-head meetings against the last-place Inuk (0-16), a new team in the RSEQ conference this season, located about 500 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

"It was similar to Friday's game (also 3-0 win at Chicoutimi),  we kept working on implementing our new structure," said McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau. "We still need more work in the stabilization of our system. But I'm very pleased with the progression over the weekend and how we were prepared to face a long trip, a (rare) overnight sleepover and morning game, the adaptation to a new structure and to come away with two wins to keep us in contention for a top spot in the conference."

The Martlets have now won six of their last seven games and improved their second-place record to 11-5 in the league standings, two points behind Montreal (12-3), which holds a game in hand. McGill has little breathing room in the eight-team conference, however, as Laval, Ottawa and Sherbrooke are all two points behind with identical 10-6 records.
 
Beliveau used her bench more in this back-to-back scenario and changed two starters. Dormann got the nod on the front line and junior Charlotte Chouinard-Laliberte was in at setter – ahead of veteran Audrey Trottier who played the night before – and amassed 33 assists.

Dormann, an anatomy and biology senior from Ottawa, tallied 11 kills and 2.5 stuff blocks, along with a pair of digs.

Others in double figure scoring included seniors Charlene Robitaille (12.5 points) of St. Jean, Que., and Clara Poire (12 pts) of Blainville, Que. Victoria Iannotti, a senior from St. Laurent, Que., added nine points and a game-high 12 digs.

The Martlets were without the services of Meaghan Smith, a senior middle blocker from Vancouver, B.C., who was injured in a blocking drill during practice earlier in the week. She is expected back next weekend.

Elodie Rouselle led the Inuk in scoring with nine kills.
 
McGill had the upper-hand in kills (40-31), blocks (12-1) and digs (44-32). Both  teams registered three aces.
 
The pressure is still on with five games remaining, as the Martlets have yet to clinch a playoff berth. McGill will host UQTR on Feb. 2 in a 6:30 p.m. tip-off at Love Competition Hall, their home venue, where they have yet to lose in eight games this season.

BOXSCORE

RSEQ STANDINGS
 
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca