After a rough start to the season in which SFU went 3–8 in 11 away games, they quickly turned things around once they were able to play in their home gym. They capped off a three-game homestand with a 3–1 victory over Concordia University, the exact same score as all three of their other home victories.
Things didn’t get off to a perfect start, however, as the Clan found themselves down 13–6 in the first set. While they managed to close the gap a little bit, Concordia ended up taking the set 25–20. When asked about this slow start by CJSF Radio, head coach Gina Schmidt said, “Most teams come out with a game plan based on what they can see about our tendencies, and maybe they sometimes come out executing a little bit better than we do.”
Despite the unideal start, SFU responded right away in the second set. They got off to a 9–4 start, forcing a Concordia timeout, and eventually won the set 25–14. The Clan then edged out their opponent in a closer third set, winning 25–21.
In what would be the final set of the game, Tessa May got the crowd excited with a massive kill to tie the score at 3–3. The Clan would eventually win the set 25–23 on a Concordia missed serve, wrapping up the victory and putting the finishing touch on a very positive homestand.
Kirsten Pinkney led the Clan with 16 kills, also adding in one block. Christine Howlett had 13 kills, along with five blocks and two aces. Middle blocker Tessa May had 12 kills, and lead the Simon Fraser defence with six blocks. When asked about May’s performance, Schmidt told The Peak, “She had a good weekend . . . the team definitely looks to her to be a leader, both offensively and defensively.”
This three-game homestand may go down as a turning point in the season for the Clan, after they endured a tough 11-game road trip to start the season. When asked how these three wins help the team’s confidence, coach Schmidt responded:
“It certainly helps [our confidence], it’s certainly tough being on the road for 11 straight matches to start the season, especially with a young team. But we knew we had the capability — that we were playing good volleyball. But it was nice to finally get some wins, and in front of our home crowd. We got to play in a number of different situations — playing with the lead, coming from behind, and that will help us as we move forward.”
The Clan hopes to build on their recent success as they travel to Alaska for a two-game road trip. They will first play Alaska Anchorage, who is ranked number 21 in the NCAA II. The game will start on Thursday, October 5 at 8 p.m.
