Martlet volleyball is off to a quick start with a 6-3 record, placing them third overall in the RSEQ, and third-year power hitter Victoria Iannotti has played an outsized role in their success.
The engineering student leads the red and white across most major offensive categories, including points (124), kills (99), sets played (39) and service aces per set (0.28). While she appreciates the personal success, Iannotti says the biggest difference-maker has been the group being so close.
“We have 23 girls all pulling in the same direction. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the roster or with the developmental team, it’s been a total group effort. In a short period of time, we have gone from working alone, maybe two of us in the gym at the same time, to being together so much, and the transition has been very smooth. With so many new faces, we couldn’t gel like we have without everyone buying in.”
The Martlets have been particularly strong on home court, boasting a 4-2 record at G. Love Competition Hall, including most recently straight-set sweeps of UQTR and UQAM.
“The first game we had with people back in the stands, after working so hard without getting to play, was awesome,” said Iannotti. “We have such a resilient team that kept putting the work in over the past 18 months, to get out there and show that dedication to the game is meaningful. We as a group know how hard we were working, and now we can hopefully continue to show that in front of our fans.”
Equally impressive as her work on the court, Iannotti’s academic interests include computer science and engineering is notoriously a heavy workload. The St. Laurent, Que. native got several useful tips in her rookie season from varsity veterans she uses now on how to keep the balance, and she says she tends to do better with more on her plate.
“Starting the semester strong is a great way to set the tone for the year – putting in that extra work in the early going pays dividends, not to say I always do (laughs]. I appreciate the advice I got as a young player on how to balance everything. You need to have a clear goal in mind, whether that’s academic honour roll or a 4.0 GPA, and recognize what you’re going to need to sacrifice in order to attain those goals.”
So far so good, both individually and as a team.
“It’s overwhelming at times, the shift back to normalcy, but it’s great to be back.”
SOURCE:
Zachary McRae
Communications Officer
McGill Athletics & Recreation
514.616.5573 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
zachary.mcrae@mcgill.ca
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