After splitting the first four sets, Martlet volleyball (6-7) rallied 18-16 in the final set to upset the visiting Laval Rouge et Or (7-6) in RSEQ play at the fifth annual Dig for the Cure game on Friday, Jan. 20.
Martlet third-years Myriam Robitaille, Thara Dawoodjee, and Emilie Matte de Grasse were critical in the victory. Robitaille and Matte de Grasse combined for 27 kills, while Dawoodjee put up a game-leading 45 assists.
“[We had] really good offence,” Head Coach Rachele Beliveau said. “We still need to work on the defence, but the defence today was much better than all [of our] other games and that kept us in the game.”
Friday’s match marked the fifth edition of Martlet Volleyball’s annual Dig for the Cure game, with 50 per cent of ticket sales going to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Additionally, throughout the week, Martlet sports raised money through bake sales. On game day, the team donned pink jerseys and donated $2 per dig to breast cancer research. The Martlets managed an impressive 58 digs over the course of the night, raising an additional $116.
“I think we had one exchange that was probably […] 10 digs,” Robitaille said. “Dig after dig after dig. [It was] like a $20 exchange.”
The Martlets are just past the midpoint in their 20-game season. After Friday’s win, they travelled to Ottawa, where they downed the Gee-Gees 3-1 on Jan. 21. As they look towards the remaining seven games of regular season play, the Martlets aren’t taking any opponents lightly.
“Our league is very tight,” Middle blocker Érika Cournoyer said. “We only have one or two games between each other.”
This weekend’s results moved the Martlets up one spot into fourth place, giving them a playoff seed. While day-to-day preparations wane as the season draws on, the Martlets are doing their best to focus on their immediate future hoping for a postseason berth.
“We go one by one,” Beliveau said.
The Martlets next play UQÁM at home on Jan. 28. The two squads have split their previous meetings this season, taking both games to five sets. Expect a hard-fought game as the Martlets look to carry this weekend’s momentum into next weekend’s match-ups.
Stat Corner
The McGill attack had a 0.223 hitting percentage, while Laval only manage a 0.050.
Key Moment
Every single combination between setter Thara Dawoodjee and middle Myriam Robitaille.
Quotable
“Seriously, it’s Dig for the Cure and we [dug] like hell today!” – Middle blocker Érika Cournoyer.
