Martlets sink Sherbrooke, to meet Laval in playoff
![Thomson gets the job done](https://www.mcgill.ca/channels/files/channels/styles/fullwidth_breakpoints_theme_moriarty_small_1x/public/channels/image/104264_VBALL_w_generic8.jpg?itok=qqTqWM-y×tamp=1346681670)
By Earl Zukerman
MONTREAL – Junior Kelsey Irwin of Vancouver, B.C., and senior
Jennifer Thomson of Rosemere, Que., combined to score 31 points as
the McGill women’s volleyball team closed out the regular season
with a 3-1 victory over Sherbrooke at Love Competition Hall,
Sunday.
In a match that took an hour and 53 minutes to play, the set scores
were 25-14, 15-25, 25-20 and 25-21.
Renee-Claude Chevarie led the last-place Vert & Or with 19
points.
Irwin, a 6-foot middle blocker, led the Martlets with 14 kills to
go along with eight digs and three stuff blocks.
Thomson, a two-time All-Canadian power-hitter, contributed 12
kills, one service ace, a pair of assisted blocks and 26
digs.
Other Martlets who figured prominently in the scoring included
sophomore Alexandra Sheppard of North Vancouver and freshman Kaiva
Mateus, a native Montrealer. Sheppard registered eight kills, one
ace and 25 digs, while Mateus, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, had seven
kills, 2.5 blocks and a pair of digs.
Amelie Trottier-Picard, a sophomore setter from Longueuil, Que.,
had a game-high 34 assists and 20 digs.
The third-place Martlets finished with a 13-8 record and ended up
just two points behind Laval (14-7), who they will meet in a
best-of-three Quebec semifinal series, tentatively slated to begin
on Thursday in Quebec City. The teams are scheduled to play the
return match at McGill on Saturday at 6 p.m. If a rubber match is
needed, they will return to provincial capital on Sunday.
McGill split is season series with Laval, losing 3-0 and winning
3-1 in Quebec City. At home, the Martlets won 3-2 and lost
3-2.
The semifinal winner will advance to play the division–leading
Montreal Carabins, who lost their final contest 3-2 at Laval last
Saturday, to finish with a stellar 20-1 record.