Try to Handle the Heat
The MacEwan Griffins were willing to play with fire, but they just couldn’t handle the Heat.
Living up to their top billing, the UBC-Okanagan Heat from Kelowna, B.C., captured the 2009 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship Saturday night at a packed R.J. Surtees Athletic Centre with a riveting 3-2 (24-26, 25-16, 16-25, 25-16, 15-11) victory over Edmonton’s MacEwan College Griffins.
Tournament MVP Sheila McNee, who overcame an injury in the first game, capped off her final year of collegiate play by pounding out 23 kills as the Heat battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 disadvantages before eliminating the No. 6-ranked Griffins in the fifth game — the only time in the tournament that a final set was need to decide a winner.
“It’s my last year, so this win is huge,”said McNee, of Kelowna, B.C., who finished with 25 points of offence to lead all scorers “But I think half-rolling my ankle (in the first game) was extra motivation and gave me a lot of fire to just come back. Honestly, that was a big turning point for me.”
….In the bronze medal match, the No. 4 FX-Garneau Elans, the 2006 CCAA champs from Quebec City, prevented an all-Western Canada podium sweep as they powered past the No. 2 Red Deer College Queens 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-21).
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