Adam ScottiA chance to extend their semifinal series against the Carabins slipped through the Martlets’ grasp as the match point found its way through libero Daphnee-Maude André-Morin’s outstretched hands.
“We gave it our all and it came down to a fourth set, 24-23, for the other team and one pass,” said André-Morin after the loss. “I won’t forget that one, that’s for sure.”
The Martlets lost their best of three semifinal series against the number-two ranked University of Montreal Carabins two games to zero. Montreal won game one at home in straight sets on Friday night.
Coming off the loss, McGill was primed for Saturday night’s game. Graduating senior Kelsey Irwin opened the scoring with a bang, killing a weak volley that barely snuck over the net. The set went back and forth from there, with McGill building a five-point lead before Montreal tied the game at 24 apiece. From there Kelsey Irwin ran off two consecutive kills to earn the opening set win.
The tight game seemed to rattle Montreal, if not on the court then at least on their bench, as the Carabin benchwarmers started screaming loudly every time the Martlets served. A McGill fan matched and exceeded this display of classlessness by sounding an airhorn for the first two Carabin serves of the second set. The set stayed close until 18-18, when Montreal went on a 7-2 run to close it out 25-20.
The run was fuelled by passive plays from the Martlets, and renewed aggressiveness from the Carabins. Montreal kept its foot on the accelerator in a 25-17 third-set shellacking.
The Martlets finally responded in the fourth, running out to a 4-0 lead before coming back to Earth. Montreal caught up at five apiece and from that point neither team could get any separation, with the largest lead being only two points. Montreal snuck out to a one-point lead, 24-23, off of a kill that just barely kissed the line.
With Montreal serving and McGill already down two sets to one, the Martlets’ Head Coach Rachele Beliveau called for time. In the time out Beliveau urged her players to be aggressive. “[I told them] to really push hard and take risks because we can’t give a free ball to Montreal,” she said.
The Martlets never got a chance to put their coach’s advice into practice as Montreal aced their final serve. The ball dropped to the court only inches from libero André-Morin’s attempted diving save.
“She missed the last ball but she didn’t miss a pass the rest of the game,” said Beliveau. “Too bad it happened on the last point but it could have happened on the first point as well.”
Because the CIS championships are being held at Laval this year, instead of the usual two teams from the RSEQ, there will be three. Laval, and now Montreal, are in as the top two finishers in the conference. The Marlets will play a Quebec best-of-three bronze medal series against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or for the CIS wild card spot.
The series begins February 18 at Love Competiton Hall. With the Martlets holding a 3-0 regular season record against Sherbrooke, Nationals are still well within their grasp.
