It had been a while since the Amaruks took to the court having not played a competitive match since October 1st. However, when they returned to action in Prince Albert on October 28th and 29th it was clear they hadn’t let the rust set in during their almost month long break.
Due to unfortunate injuries the Sask Polytech Moose Jaw Panthers women’s team was unable to attend the weekend tournament, setting the Amaruks up to face the Great Plains SunDogs and northern rival Sask Polytech Prince Albert WILD twice in two days.
The Amaruk women squared off Friday night against the WILD without their 2015 PAC All-Star left side, Jaylene Koski. However, the Amaruks battled hard against Prince Albert leading to a hard fought two set win (26-24, 25-23).
Saturday the Ruks continued their winning ways rattling off two victories against the Great Plains SunDogs (25-14, 25-10) and (25-8, 25-13 ) and one more win against the WILD 25-20, 25-19.
Women’s Coach Chris Doepker said “ This past weekend the girls showed a lot of growth from the first tournament. Our offense was a little more diverse than the first tournament, making our team a little harder to defend against. Setter Amanda Fahlman once again ran a great offense. Jaden Muller (middle) was also a force at the net. Prince Albert played us tough the first tournament and did so again. I was proud of our team battling hard with them, especially Friday night when we had a key member of the team away. It was nice to keep our undefeated streak going.”
In men’s action due to schedule conflicts and injuries the Amaruks traveled to Prince Albert with only six guys. Luckily, this was all they would need to keep their perfect season alive.
For the first time this season the Ruks faced off against the Great Plains SunDogs who gave the guys everything they could handle. In the end, the Amaruks pulled off a two set victory (25-21, 25-23).
Saturday morning the Amaruks faced a hot Prince Albert WILD team who put their undefeated streak in jeopardy. However, due to some timely kills, the Ruks squeaked out a two set victory (26-24, 25-23).
The close matches and exciting play continued throughout the afternoon as the Amaruks picked up wins against the Sask Polytech Moose Jaw Panthers (25-18, 25-23) and the Great Plains SunDogs (25-23, 27-25).
Coach Tim Hazen had this to say about the men’s performance,“ I was relieved that we were able to preserve the matches with only 6 players and no “bench”. Right Side player Darcy McDougall had a standout weekend for the team, with many solid blocks and timely hits. Team captain Daniel (DK) Kennedy, continues to be consistent in his play which contributes to several points for the team. Theo Hack stepped into the setters position this past weekend and proved that he was able to adapt well in running the offence for the team.
I look foward to seeing the team play this upcoming weekend in Moose Jaw, as we will have a full squad.”
Being the only two undefeated teams, the Amaruks stand alone atop the Prairie Athletic Conference. In the women’s division, the Briercrest Clippers are close behind the Ruks with a 6-2 record, followed by the Prairie Pilots at 6-4 and the Millar Edge at 5-4.
In men’s play the Amaruks will need to continue to find ways to win as the Millar Edge are only one game back with an 8-1 record followed by the Prairie Pilots who currently sit at 5-5.
Ashley Poole - Amaruk Athletics