On the strength of a seven-match winning streak, the Simon Fraser University women’s volleyball team were toasted as the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week.
Two more wins pushed their record to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference competition on the Div. 2 circuit.
By upsetting No. 19 Western Washington in five sets, the Clan displayed a fierce, never-say-die approach.
Senior setter Tamara Nipp, who picked up the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week award, tallied a season-best 63 assists in the win and played a key role in SFU posting a hitting percentage over .300 in all three sets they won. Senior hitter Emma Jennings registered a team-high 19 kills and 21 digs.
“We worked a lot on our offensive efficiency during our training this past spring and we have seen the carry-over into the fall,” noted SFU coach Gina Schmidt. “We have a wide variety of attackers on our team and Tamara’s experience has allowed her to consistently find the right hitters at the right time.”
After the Clan dropped the fourth set, Devon May gave SFU an early edge in the final set with back-to-back kills on the first two points. She then put away a kill on the third-match point to seal the upset.
A few days later, the Burnaby Mountain crew swept Montana State University Billings in straight sets.
“The quick turnaround from Wednesday’s match was definitely not easy,” Schmidt. “The girls invested a lot of emotional energy against the Vikings, so I was happy they were able to take care of business (Friday) after a long day of travel.”
