Plante helps volleyball ladies strike gold in Ottawa
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OTTAWA - Geneviève Plante of Montreal, registered 19 kills, a pair of aces and a single-game school record 27 digs as the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Martlets women's volleyball team rallied to defeat Sherbrooke 3-2 and capture the Ottawa-Marriott preseason tournament in the nation's capital, Sunday. ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, 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.
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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 ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ women have racked up victories over Guelph (twice), Queen's (twice), Sherbrooke (twice), McMaster, Waterloo and Ottawa.
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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.
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"Her contribution was an all-around consistent, solid performance," said ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ head coach Rachele Beliveau. "Gen was strong defensively, very efficient at the net and made a lot of outstanding plays at the back-line."
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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
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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.
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The victory was ±«ÓãÖ±²¥'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.
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The ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ women now receive a two-week hiatus before returning to action Oct. 14-16 when they host the 21st annual ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Invitational during Homecoming week. Other participating teams include the Montreal Carabins, Sherbrooke, Saint Mary's, Dalhousie and Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Athletics & Recreation
514-398-7012
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