Queens 3 Wolves 2
MEDICINE HAT — The RDC Queens didn’t accomplish what they wanted at the Alberta Colleges Women’s Volleyball League finals, but they made sure they didn’t come home empty handed.
The Queens, who lost the semifinal 3-2 to the Mount Royal University Cougars Saturday, captured bronze with a heart-stopping 25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 18-16 victory over the Grande Prairie Wolves Sunday afternoon.
“It was a typical match as far as bronze medal games go,” said Queens head coach Talbot Walton. “We were able to win convincingly, then let them hang around and it turned out to be a battle. The fifth set was tough, but we were able to generate enough to pull it out.”
Jaclyn Neufeld was the RDC player of the game with 11 kills, 11 digs, two aces and two stuff blocks. Both RDC power hitters — Brooke Sutter and Makenzie Quinn — finished with 12 kills and 21 digs each while libero Megan Brouwer had 26 digs.
“We needed out top players to come through,” said Walton, who added middle blockers Leanne Price and Danielle Newton played major roles down the stretch.
“They both made a lot of very good decisions and forced them (Wolves) into a number of hitting errors.”
Price had five stuff blocks and Newton three.
The Queens blocking ability was the difference as they finished with 11 blocks compared to six for Grande Prairie.
Mount Royal won the ACAC title — their last as they move to the CIS next season — with a 21-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-21 win over the Medicine Hat Rattlers.
Both MRU and Medicine Hat advance to the national finals in Nanaimo.
The RDC Kings finished second to MRU in the men’s playoffs Saturday in Moose Jaw and will advance to the national finals in Abbotsford.