By Scott Roblin

Trojans top Huskies in three sets to win ACAC men’s volleyball title

Feb 25, 2018 | 12:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Going wire-to-wire to win a provincial championship is never easy, but that’s the path the SAIT Trojans men’s volleyball team took at ACAC Provincials in Medicine Hat.

On Saturday night, the Trojans matched up against the Keyano College Huskies in the ACAC championship after winning their first two matches of the tournament by 3-0 scores.

The Snake Pit was packed for its final volleyball games of the season, with rowdy fans from both SAIT and Keyano College making the trip down.

Serving errors plagued both sides in the opening set, but the Trojans were able to hold off the Huskies thanks to a number of kills from Trent Mounter to pick up a 25-20 win.

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Trailing 1-0 in the match, Keyano jumped out to a 13-7 lead and forced the Trojans to take their second time-out of the night.

That time-out seemed to spark SAIT however, as they rallied with an 11-3 run to take the lead 18-16.

The Huskies regrouped and held game point at 24-22, but the Trojans used their blockers to pick up four straight points to shock Keyano and lead the match 2-0.

Facing elimination, the Huskies were able to battle back from an early deficit in the third set and knot the game at 14-14.

With Keyano holding a 23-20 lead late in the set, the Trojans were able to register three straight points and tie the set up once again at 23 all.

On third match point, SAIT’s Spencer Coulter executed a perfect service ace to seal the match and the ACAC title for the Trojans.

Trojans head coach Sean McKay said even when trailing against the Huskies, his players never were fazed by the moment.

“Really when it comes down to these games it’s about performance, and these guys have been performing all weekend,” said McKay. “I mean, nine straight sets of volleyball to win a championship is pretty crazy. So, really it was them stepping up to the occasion, playing lights out after 20s.”

It’s the first provincial championship for the Trojans since the 2009-10 season, winning all nine of their sets over three games in Medicine Hat.

McKay said the night was made even more special for how difficult it is to bring home an ACAC title.

“This is an extremely tough league and conference,” he said. “So, to have a great season and cap it off this way is absolutely outstanding, and guys should be super proud of themselves.”

Mounter was named tournament MVP, contributing a game-high 14 kills and seven digs in the finals to help SAIT book a spot at Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association nationals.

He said it’s an incredible feeling being named champions, especially for those who have been battling for a national berth over the last few years.

“It means so much, especially for the guys who’ve been in the program for four or five years,” said Mounter. “To get the win [Saturday] is awesome, and we’re looking forward to the next couple weeks here when we [play] some teams in nationals.”

Despite being swept by SAIT the Huskies won’t see their season come to an end, as they will join the Trojans at the CCAA national tournament.

The Trojans and Huskies will travel to Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia to get nationals underway on March 8.

As for the bronze medal match, the Briercrest Clippers responded from a semi-final loss to SAIT and earned a 3-1 win over Lethbridge College to take their place on the podium.