By Scott Roblin

Rattlers split volleyball season openers at Lethbridge College

Oct 14, 2017 | 12:46 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The 2017 volleyball season officially kicked off for the Medicine Hat Rattlers on Friday night, with their men’s and women’s squads taking on the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.

Medicine Hat got off to a great start in the men’s game, taking the first set 25-17 thanks to five kills from Joao Pedro Freire.

The Kodiaks found some life in the second set, winning 25-21 and tying up the match at one set a piece.

It was a back-and-forth third set between the Rattlers and Kodiaks, with Medicine Hat going up 21-15 on Lethbridge. The Kodiaks fought back however, rattling off six straight points to tie the set at 21-21.

That seemed to wake up Medicine Hat, as Brodie Dolter picked up five straight kills to give the Rattlers the set and a 2-1 lead.

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The fourth set proved to be the closest, with the Rattlers and Kodiaks going toe-to-toe with a deadlocked score at 24-24.

In the end, the Rattlers showed more stamina and were able to secure a 27-25 set victory and a 3-1 win on the road.

Dolter was named player of the game for the Rattlers, ending his evening with 11 kills, five digs, and three blocks.

It was an emotional atmosphere in the earlier women’s game, as the Rattlers and Kodiaks opened their regular seasons as well.

Lethbridge honoured Emmalee Cherweniuk before the contest, who was a Kodiaks rookie last year who lost her life in a car crash back in March.

Fuelled by the hometown crowd, Lethbridge got out to a 2-0 lead on Medicine Hat after scores of 25-22 and 25-17 in the opening two sets.

Looking to battle back in the third set, the Rattlers rode six kills from Amber Stigter to a 25-20 win and closed the gap to 2-1.

Shayla Suchy and Grace Porter had strong fourth sets for Medicine Hat, contributing with six digs and three kills, respectively to tie the match up a 2-2 and force a deciding fifth set.

Medicine Hat took an early lead, but the Kodiaks proved to be too much with a 15-10 set win and a 3-2 final score.

Player of the game honours for the Rattlers went to Porter, who ended her night with six kills and nine digs.

The season opening home-and-home series now shifts to Medicine Hat, with the Rattlers hosting the Kodiaks on Saturday night.

The women’s team will go for their first win of the season at 6:00 pm, with the men’s side trying to stay undefeated at 8:00 pm.