Plante helps volleyball ladies strike gold in Ottawa

OTTAWA - Geneviève Plante of Montreal, registered 19 kills, a pair of aces and a single-game school record 27 digs as the McGill Martlets women's volleyball team rallied to defeat Sherbrooke 3-2 and capture the Ottawa-Marriott preseason tournament in the nation's capital, Sunday. McGill, which swept all five matches in the three-day event, won the two-hour, 10-minute marathon final by set scores of 28-26, 15-25, 20-25, 25-18 and 15-12.

The Martlets have quietly put together a nine-match win streak in exhibition play over their two tournaments. After losing the season opener to Toronto at the Carabins Classic on Sept. 23, the McGill women have racked up victories over Guelph (twice), Queen's (twice), Sherbrooke (twice), McMaster, Waterloo and Ottawa.

Plante, a 20-year-old science sophomore majoring in kinesiology, was named Tournament MVP. Over the weekend, the 5-foot-9 power-hitter racked up a whopping 78 digs, 66 kills, four aces and a pair of stuff blocks, to go along with a 2.22 passing ratio out of 3, a 39 per cent kill rating and a 25 per cent kill efficiency.

"Her contribution was an all-around consistent, solid performance," said McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau. "Gen was strong defensively, very efficient at the net and made a lot of outstanding plays at the back-line."

Plante, a hotly-recruited freshman last year who started off the 2010-11 season with a back injury, has rebounded nicely and will be a key ingredient on a Martlets squad composed of three seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen

She was joined on the Ottawa all-tournament team by teammate Kaiva Mateus, a 6-foot-1, middle blocker from Montreal West. In 18 sets, the psychology senior was credited with 59 kills, 27 digs, 10 stuff blocks, four assisted blocks, four aces and a 38 per cent kill efficiency.

The victory was McGill's second straight over Sherbrooke and somewhat softened the sting of last season's devastating playoff loss to the Vert & Or, which snuffed out an all but assured berth at the 2011 CIS championship tourney.

The McGill women now receive a two-week hiatus before returning to action Oct. 14-16 when they host the 21st annual McGill Invitational during Homecoming week. Other participating teams include the Montreal Carabins, Sherbrooke, Saint Mary's, Dalhousie and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

McGill Athletics & Recreation

514-398-7012