EDMONTON - Fourth-year left side hitter Tiffany Proudfoot recorded a game-high 20 kills as the No. 5-ranked University of Alberta Pandas defeated the fourth-ranked Calgary Dinos in four sets (25-23, 25-20, 19-25 and 25-22) during their opening match of the Canada West season, Friday night in the U of A's Main Gym.
BOX SCORE
The Calgary native recorded nine of those kills in the opening set, when she connected on 43% of her attacks to earn points. As the lone returning starter from last year, and one of the few veterans, Proudfoot will be counted on throughout the season to help carry the Pandas on the attack and as a leader.
Third-year middle Caitlin Buckell had an impressive four aces for the Pandas, while right-side hitter Meggie Moir had seven kills.
Calgary was led by senior middle
Laura Littlejohn who had nine kills on 16 attempts with just one error for a 67% attack rating. She also collected a combined five blocks, while rookie right-side hitter
Maura Hayes, from Cupids, Newfoundland, notched 10 kills.
Proudfoot opened the match with two straight kills, helping Alberta to a 25-23 first set win.
They earned their second set win, 25-20, thanks in part to Buckell's three aces and three more kills from Proudfoot.
Littlejohn, originally from Nanaimo, BC, kicked-off the Calgary comeback in the third, registering a pair of solo blocks, as the Calgary defense limited the Panda attack to eight kills, and nine errors on 28 attempts.
But, Proudfoot scored four more kills in the fourth, and the Dinos committed five service errors, paving the way to a 25-22 Alberta set win, and the match.
The two-teams will do it all over again Saturday night, this time beginning at 8:00 p.m. MDT in the U of A's Main Gym.
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