By RDC Athletics

ACAC

RDC Queens Volleyball primed for provincials in Medicine Hat

Feb 25, 2020 | 12:08 PM

After the RDC Queens recorded their final point in Saturday’s sweep of the Medicine Hat College Ratters (25-19, 25-16 and 25-21), the focus shifts to the ACAC Championship this weekend in Medicine Hat.

“All the teaching is done. All the coaching is really finished,” said Queens Head Coach Talbot Walton. “It’s about us getting prepared and pursue what we know is possible, and come out and play our best volleyball.”

The Red Deer College Queens (21-3) placed second in the south division with 42 points. They will face the third seed from the north, the Lakeland College Rustlers (18-6), in their first match of the championship Friday at 8 p.m.

Despite dropping a four-set decision to the Rustlers in non-conference action nearly five months ago, the Queens have developed immensely over the course of the year and rattled off a 19-match winning streak.

“We saw Lakeland early on in October in an exhibition tournament, but from then until now is such a long time,” said Walton. “They understand the importance of every single point and we know that they’re a team that continues to play [to the end].”

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Rustlers second-year outside hitter Jenay Varga totaled 283 kills and averaged 3.14 kills per set this season, which ranked third in both league categories. Lakeland’s fourth-year outside hitter Bailee Weiler finished with 246 kills (seventh) and 2.73 kills per set (eighth). Fix-foot-ten Brooklyn Boehm, six-foot Orianna Hyndman and five-foot-ten Sarah Hogue play out of the middle.

“They have a few really good power hitters who get a lot of kills for them and a very athletic right side player and big middles,” explained Walton. “It’s a very prototypical team for Lakeland and I know that Austin [Dyer] always does a really good job of having his athletes prepared to play their best.”

The Queens have their own offensive weapons. Outside hitter Emma Holmes led the group with 269 kills and a 0.368 hitting percentage. Ponoka’s Tess Pearman steadily developed her game and finished with 217 kills and a team-high 3.10 kills per set. Erin Neufeldt capped off the season with a strong weekend against the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. This season the fourth-year

Bachelor of Science Nursing student totaled 163 kills and averaged 2.12 kills per set. First-year setter Emma Letkeman has done a nice job finding her targets and ranked third in the ACAC with 8.64 assists per set.

In other opening day action, The King’s University Eagles (20-4) will challenge the Ambrose University Lions (16-8) at 1:00 p.m. The Briercrest College Clippers (22-2) and NAIT Ooks (9-15) will tangle at 3:00 p.m. Prior to the Queens’ match, the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings (20-4) and host Medicine Hat College Rattlers (8-16) will play at 6:00 p.m.

(Brent Forster, RDC Athletics)