EDMONTON, AB — Back in action against the MacEwan Griffins on Saturday afternoon, the Saskatchewan Huskies looked to extend their win streak and sweep the weekend series.
A series of unfortunate injuries has forced the Griffins to dress and inexperienced lineup that was tasked with going up against a strong, experienced Huskies team. That inexperience led to the Huskies dominating the game in straight sets (25-19, 25-16, 25-13). The Huskies remain undefeated on the season with a 4-0 record, while the Griffins drop to 0-4.
MacEwan’s lineup was decimated with seven players sidelined, but like they did in the opening set on Friday, the Griffins hung in with Saskatchewan in the first set on Saturday as they battled back and forth. They couldn’t generate enough of a consistent offensive attack to get on a big run and take control of the set. The Huskies won the first set 25-19 and that was the closest MacEwan would get to a win on the evening.
The Huskies experience showed up big in the second and third sets as they stayed in control. In the second set, the Griffins jumped out to an early lead, but it didn’t last long before Saskatchewan jumped ahead and kept the lead. MacEwan got within 10-8, but that was as close as they’d come before Saskatchewan pushed forward, winning the second set 25-16.
Saskatchewan led the third set from start to finish, with seven straight points in the middle to take a 18-7 lead. MacEwan tried to make something work but the offensive power of veteran outside hitters like Emmett Graham and Isaiah Mamer got in their way. The Huskies dominated the remainder of the set, winning 25-13.
The weekend marked the first time Saskatchewan’s Jefferson Morrow played against his former team. The outside hitter was MacEwan volleyball’s MVP and captain in the 2022-23 season before choosing to transfer to Saskatchewan. Morrow had four kills, two service aces and five digs against his former team on Saturday.
KEY PERFORMANCES
Seth Birkholz and Nicholas Jabusch led the Griffins with six kills each.
The Huskies were led by the dynamic duo of Isiah Mamer and Emmett Graham who had 15 and 12 kills, respectively. Setter Noah Opseth had 33 assists and eight digs for the Dogs.
NEXT UP
Saskatchewan returns home to the Physical Activity Complex next weekend to battle the Thompson Rivers WolfPack. Games are set for Friday night at 6:00 PM and Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Fans can get their tickets at HuskieTickets.com and can watch the live stream on CanadaWest.TV.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login