Kings edged in five sets by Kodiaks, place fifth nationally

Fredericton, NB – There was a lot of familiarity between the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) bronze medal semi-final combatants.

The Red Deer College Kings and Lethbridge College Kodiaks had faced each other four times during the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) regular season. They finished at the top of the south division with an identical 20-4 record and met in the ACAC gold medal match, with the Kings being crowned champions on Feb. 29 in Lethbridge.

When the two squads met in the CCAA bronze semi-final it went the distance.

The Red Deer College Kings and Lethbridge College Kodiaks traded sets, with the Kodiaks edging out the Kings in five (25-23, 16-25, 25-21, 18-25 and 15-13).

Kings Player-of-the-Game Thomas Wass gave a heart-and-soul effort, battling injury and recording 50 assists, five digs, three blocks and two of the team's nine service aces.

Hills (4) with one of 13 digs

First-year Carter Hills led the Kings with 18 kills, and finished with a 0.400 hitting percentage. Red Deer's Ben Holmes had a good match and pounded 14 kills. Pat Toze added 13. Middle Mark DeWit had six of RDC's 23 blocks.

Cody Boulding (7) had a pair of aces

Libero JJ Graham, who is from Red Deer, totaled 11 digs and three assists.

Kodiaks Player-of-the-Game Quinn Buchanan accumulated 12 kills, six blocks, two digs and an ace.

Carter Hansen powered the Kodiaks with a match-high 21 kills along with five of the team's eight aces.

Hills and Toze were named Second-Team Tournament All-Stars.

The RDC Kings placed fifth in the CCAA.

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks and Volontaires de Sherbrooke will compete for national bronze at 6:00 ADT.

The Capilano Blues and Humber Hawks will meet in the CCAA gold medal match on Saturday at 8:00 pm ADT.