Undermanned volleyball women fourth at U-21 provincial championship
QUEBEC CITY -- McGill finished fourth of 11 teams at the provinical under-21 women's volleyball championship hosted by Coll猫ge Fran莽ois-Xavier Garneau over the weekend.
Due to age restrictions, only nine members of the Martlets were eligible for the tournament.
"We played without experienced聽 setters since ours were too old to participate," explained McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau.
A pair of power-hitters -- Leila Pieper, a 5-foot-7 freshman from Ottawa and Amy Graham, a 5-foot-11 junior from Bloomfield Village, Mich., -- filled in as setters.
"They did a pretty credible job despite not being experienced at that position," said Beliveau.
The Martlets won their first match on Saturday, defeating the Horions, one of the top club programs in the province, 25-19, 25-15. McGill then swept Coll猫ge de l'Outaouais 25-19, 25-22.
In their third match of the day, the Martlets were defeated 25-17, 25-23 by Coll猫ge Lionel-Groulx.
In Sunday's playoff round, McGill edged Sherbrooke 25-22, 17-25, 15-11聽 in a quarterfinal. The Martlets then stumbled in a semifinal against Coll猫ge FX Garneau, losing 11-25, 18-25, 21-25.
In the bronze medal match, the Montreal Carabins junior squad swept McGill 25-15, 25-21, 25-16.