Thunder Kick Off 2023 with a BOOM
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Red Deer Polytechnic | 22 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 11 | 2 |
|
Concordia University of Edmonton | 25 | 20 | 26 | 23 | 15 | 3 |
EDMONTON, AB (January 13th, 2023) - Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) Thunder kicked off 2023 with a nail-biting battle against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens and came out on top. The game went back and forth going all the way to a fifth set. Each team pushed hard to keep themselves in the game with the scoreboard consistently tied, but the Thunder went into the fifth with confidence and won the game 3-2.
The first set was evenly matched with each side creating great opportunities and making some killer plays. The set was tied multiple times, but CUE took the lead 25-22 for the first. The second set started differently; RDP came out with a commanding 7-0 lead. Thunder looked to even things out and was able to get back on track tying it 16-16. The back-and-forth battle continued and the Queens took the second set 25-20. Sitting tied at 1-1 for the third, it was another intense set. RDP established a 20-13 lead and just when it looked like they would take this set Thunder pushed back hard and were able to steal the victory with a 26-24 win establishing a 2-1 lead in the game. The fourth set followed a lot of the same patterns from earlier in the game. The Queens took an early lead in the set and Thunder rallied back, yet this time RDP was able to push the game forward and emerge with a 25-23 win, tying the game 2-2. The fifth and final set CUE came out with a 2-0 lead and never relinquished, until winning the set 15-11 and finishing the game 3-2.
We also witnessed history in the making when #4 Emma Derbyshire broke the program record for assists, sitting at 159 she now has the title of all-time assists leader, with 8 more games left in the regular season. Congratulations Emma!
The One Team Sport players of the game were #16 Autumn Roos from the Queens, with 10 kills in the game. From the Thunder, #7 Emma Thompson with 11 kills and 5 service aces.
Tonight's game was dedicated to the Make Some Noise for Mental Health Campaign. With the crowd roaring throughout the night and the exciting back-and-forth game, it was one for the books. The next home game for the Thunder is on January 20th against the Keyano Huskies.