Clippers sweep weekend in Snake Pit over Rattlers

The Briercrest Clippers headed back into the Snake Pit for their second game in 2 days against the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. The Clippers took a 3 set victory the night before and hoped to come out and sweep the weekend. The Rattlers were looking to play spoiler and take the Saturday contest. The teams started the match trading side-outs before the Clippers took a few straight opening up a 5-2 lead early. The Clippers continually relied on their powerhouse offensive weapons to produce their points. The Rattlers keying on this were able to start to match the Clippers and started to move the ball around on offence getting better looks. They chipped away and trailed by 1, 10-9. The teams continued their even battle as the score crept up. The Rattlers eventually tied the set at 15, off a big Justice Lesuk block. The Rattlers continued to hold momentum going up 18-16 entering the late stages of the set. The teams traded side-outs as the Rattlers lead 21-19. The Rattlers held this lead adding one more, 23-20 leading late. They scored again and had a chance to serve for the set. They lost the serve but made the side out for a 25-21 first set victory for the Rattlers.

The second set started with both sides trading side-outs for the first 6 points of the game. Tied at 3 there was no early advantage for either team. The teams continued to trade serves as the score continued to climb evenly up the scoreboard. 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, as the match remained deadlocked. The back and forth continued until the Clippers Bryton Codd served 2 straight to put Briercrest up 13-11. The Rattlers batted back to tie the set back up at 14 and the set continued to be a long hard fought battle. Neither team held any real advantage with the teams tied at 17. Another couple side-outs traded and the teams remained tied at 19. Still tied at 21, neither team could hold serve long enough to create an advantage. Clippers Bryton Codd strung 2 serves together to give Briercrest the 23-21 lead late. This forced the Rattlers to take a timeout. The Clippers still held a small lead up 24-23 needing a side-out for the win. Briercrest took a timeout to ice the serve hoping to even the match at a set each. The Rattlers tied the set at 24 before the Clippers got their side-out forcing extra points. The Clippers won 27-25 in a tightly fought battle.

The third set started the best of 3 between the Rattlers and the Clippers. The Clippers were able to take a 3-1 lead early off a Rattlers error. The Clippers quickly scored again taking a bigger lead before the Rattlers could respond. They responded hard with an ace of their own after a quick side-out. The Clippers were able to hold their early lead as the set moved into the middle. The Clippers held a 7-11 lead and were able to hold off the Rattler attack. The teams were trading side-outs again until another quick Clipper burst put them up 10-15, forcing a Rattler timeout. The Clippers continued to turn to their big 2 Codd and Coleman were the Clippers most effective players and helped open up their teammates with the Rattlers keying on the two. The Clippers exploded out to open a 22-14 lead over the Rattlers and continued to pull away late. Briercrest took the third set 25-16 and opened a 2 sets to 1 lead.

The fourth set started with the teams trading serves and side-outs early. The Clippers again took an early advantage going up 9-4 with the help of their big 2 again. The score read 7-11 with the Clippers able to maintain their early lead. The Clippers looked strong as they passed the midway point increasing their cushion. The Rattlers continued to be plagued by their own errors making mistakes that cost points and momentum. The Clippers doubled the Rattlers score 16-8 forcing the Rattlers to take a timeout. The Clippers had the game in firm control up 17-10 as the entered the later stages of the set. With little to do but trade side-outs, The Clippers were content to do just this. The Clippers were able to hold on and take a 3-1 set victory winning the final set 25-18

The ACAC Players of the game were Bryton Codd for Briercrest and Justice Lesuk for MHC