After clinching a playoff spot in Thursdays match against the Mounties, the Tommies hit the court for their final home game of the season. The St. Thomas Tommies women’s volleyball team lost in a playoff showcase with the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics three sets to one.
It was grad appreciation night they honored Nicole Munro and Sarah Watts, the only two graduating players from the Tommies squad this season.
But facing the 18-1 Mystics, the game provided the Tommies with a pre playoff challenge. In But it was the Mystics who began to pull away halfway though the set and never looking back.
The Mystics started to get their offence going and never let the Tommies back in, taking the first set 25-16.
Second set went almost identically as the first, but rolls reversed as the Tommies finally got their game going. STU took advantage of MSVU’s poor serving game. Jessica Barna was a stand out in the set from the right side, finding the floor seven times in the match while adding seven digs. The Tommies took the set 25-16.
The third and forth set however was all Mystics, setting the tone for playoffs and taking it to the Tommies offensively. Madison Urquhart put up eight kills in the match and was unstoppable in the third set.
Meaghan MacDougall picked up six service aces on the Tommies and earned 26 assists in the setter spot, helping the Mystics pick up their insurmountable lead in the forth.
The Tommies dropped the third and forth easily, giving up the match 25-14 and 25-16.
Head coach of the Mystics Derrick Brooks wanted his team to set the tone for playoffs against a Tommies team they might have to face.
“We didn’t want to give them anymore hope going in to playoffs,” he said.
Making the playoffs was a big relief for the Tommies, said head coach Don Mckay. He still thought his team needed to pass the ball better in the match.
“We didn’t run a fast offence because of a lot of poor passing,” said McKay. “Our setter needs better balls coming to them so they can make better choices.”
The Tommies made 15 reception errors off the Mystics serves.
Mckay believes preparations for the playoffs will all depend on their matchup and they will train for the team they play. The Tommies will head to MSVU for playoffs on Feb. 28.
