Both the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings and Queens volleyball teams had a successful weekend hosting the SAIT Trojans.
Saturday night, the Kings swept the Trojans in three sets (25-23,25-19,15-15) in Alberta Colleges Athletic Association action.
Colby Nemeth, second-year power out of Red Deer was key in the Kings victory, with nine kills and six aces, to go along with four digs. Red Deer’s Brett Lower, also had a strong day on the outside with seven kills. Sylvan Lake’s Noah Carlson had nine kills for the Kings and also added an ace and a stuff block. Setter Maddux Greves had 28 assists in the win.
The win was the 13th in a row for the Kings, who have just four regular season matches left on the year.
The Queens earned a 3-1 win over the Trojans (25-22, 27-25, 19-25, 15-17), to run their record to 8-7 for the season.
Rookie outside hitter Lauren Junck led the charge for the Queens with a massive game, finishing with a match-high 18 kills, four aces, and one stuff block.
Middle Sydney Rix of Red Deer also had a strong night, with 14 kills, six digs and one stuff block. Queens setter Danielle Wiens finished with 52 assists in the victory.
In Calgary, the Queens basketball squad also earned a victory over the Trojans. Amy Szymanek was key in 68-57 victory, with 18 points and six rebounds. Fourth-year point guard Sandra Garcia-Bernal had another double-double, with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and one block. Rookie Peighton Melton out of Lacombe chipped in 10 points and a game-high 20 rebounds.
The Queens shot 41.9 per cent from the field, 26.7 per cent from three and 66.7 from the free-throw line. They led 41-35 at half, after outscoring SAIT 25-10 in the second quarter. In the third, the Queens outscored the Trojans 17-10.
It was the seventh win in a row for the Queens, who have a 10-6 record and sit tied for second in the ACAC South.
The Kings lost a nail-biter 84-83 to the Trojans. The game was tied at 42 at half, but the Kings led 61-55 after three. SAIT won the battle in the fourth quarter, holding the Kings to just 12 points.
Eduardo Crespo posted a double-double in the loss, with 28 points and 15 rebounds, along with six assists and one steal. Payton Baltzer had 15 points, while Bernardo Moller had 15 points off the bench. The Kings shot 46 per cent from the field, 33 per cent from three and 76 per cent from the free throw line.
The Kings are 9-7 on the year and sit third in the ACAC South.
