VB: ALB, WPG hitters assert dominance in opening weekend
Tremblay, Nielsen named CW Players of the Week
CALGARY – Alberta's Lauryn Tremblay and Winnipeg's Nigel Nielsen were named the Canada West Volleyball Players of the Week by the conference on Tuesday.
Tremblay helped her Alberta Pandas to a near-perfect weekend over a team ranked eighth in the preseason polls. The outside hitter went off for 14 kills Friday evening in the season opener, good for an impressive .367 conversion rate.
Her presence at the net also showed up big for the Pandas' defence, as she notched four block assists. Off the net, she put up 13 digs in the all-around effort.
Tremblay's persistence continued Saturday, as she hit the floor for another 11 digs, to post 24 over the weekend's seven sets.
She bested her Friday hit mark with 18 kills, notching 18.5 total points. With Tremblay leading the way, the Pandas began the 2022-23 on the right foot, beating the Huskies 3-0 and 3-1.
Tremblay and the Pandas will be back in action Friday and Saturday in Winnipeg as they face off against the Wesmen at 6 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. respectively. You can catch the action exclusively on Canada West TV.
Game log:
Oct. 21: 14K (.367), 1SA, 4BA, 13 digs, 17 points in 3-0 W vs SSK
Oct. 22: 18K (.229), 1BA, 11 digs, 18.5 points in 3-1 W vs SSK
Meanwhile, Nigel Nielsen appeared on a mission for the Winnipeg Wesmen, as the team looked to prove a point after their round two playoff exit a season ago.
Nielsen loomed larger than life at the net, needing only three sets to put down 23 kills on opening night. The outside hitter converted on .311 of his swings, posting 24.5 points on the evening.
Nielsen also proved a tough customer on defence, putting up five digs in the 3-1 victory over MacEwan in Edmonton.
He duplicated his success Saturday, going up for 20 kills against a Griffins team that had no answers for him. He added four digs, good for 20.5 points as the Wesmen wasted little time in their opponents' gym, walking out with the 3-0 sweep.
Nielsen and the Wesmen will be back in action Friday and Saturday, as they host Alberta at 7:45 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively. You can catch the games exclusively on Canada West TV.
Game log:
Oct. 21: 23 kills, .311, 5 digs, 1SA, 24.5 points in 3-1 W at GMU
Oct. 22: 20 kills, .300, 4 digs, 20.5 points in 3-0 W at GMU