By Reegan MacAulay
The Holland Hurricanes were met with rough weather during what was supposed to be their final weekend of regular season competition for volleyball and women’s hockey. Only two games were contested at home on Sunday with mixed results for the volleyball teams.
Here’s what occurred in Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) action on Sunday, Feb. 16.
The women’s volleyball Hurricanes ended their 2024-25 regular season campaign on Sunday morning with a 3-0 straight-set loss to the second-place University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) Seawolves at the McMillan Centre.
Originally, the game was scheduled for Saturday evening but was postponed to the next morning.
Each team exchanged points early in set one but the Seawolves pulled away from a 10-7 lead to take the set 25-10, with UNBSJ’s Kate McLeod’s four kills leading the way. The Hurricanes partially rebounded in the second set, improving their intensity and keeping the competition tight. But, the Seawolves had a better clutch performance towards the end, using a six-point run to take a 2-0 game lead.
Holland jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the third and final set but UNBSJ quickly turned things around. The rest of the way, both teams, each in their regular season finales, put forth a crazy battle in front of the McMillan Centre crowd and it came down to the wire as they each went beyond 25 points. Ultimately, a pair of kills by McLeod and Dominique Gendron gave UNBSJ a 32-30 set win and a straight-set victory.
Fourth-year left-side Morgan White (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) led the Hurricanes with 10 kills, five digs, and four service aces. Rookie setter/libero Marissa O’Donnell (Fredericton, N.B.) recorded 23 assists. Fourth-year left-side Jenna O’Neill (Cornwall, P.E.I.) and rookie libero Erica Correard (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) combined for 24 digs.
The Hurricanes enter the 2025 ACAA Volleyball Championships next weekend at the McMillan Centre with a 9-11 regular-season record, a 4-6 second-half record, and the sixth playoff seed. They lost a tiebreaker with Dalhousie for fifth, thus will play the third-seed STU Tommies in quarterfinal action next Friday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
Connect with the women’s volleyball ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswvball and www.instagram.com/caneswvball.
The men’s volleyball Hurricanes concluded their 2024-25 regular season campaign by snapping a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory against the UNBSJ Seawolves on Sunday afternoon at the McMillan Centre.
Originally, the team was set to play a doubleheader against UNBSJ on Saturday and Sunday, but Saturday’s game was moved from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and then eventually cancelled. Later, it was decided to make Sunday’s game worth four points instead of two as compensation.
The Hurricanes had a fantastic start, jumping to 9-2 and 18-8 leads in the first set, forcing UNBSJ to call multiple timeouts. Holland went on to take the set 25-12. Both third-year left-side Carson Gray (Stratford, P.E.I.) and second-year left-side Dominik Pineau (Cornwall, P.E.I.) recorded three kills in the set alone. UNBSJ regained their composure in the second set, taking multiple early leads and keeping Holland close. The Hurricanes slowly pulled ahead and ultimately claimed the set 25-22. Gray added another seven kills in set two alone.
In the third set, neither team could get away from each other. Eventually, UNBSJ capitalized on multiple attack errors by the Hurricanes, winning the set 28-26 and keeping the game going. In the fourth and final set, Holland returned to their earlier form and closed out the game with a big 25-16 set win and the game win.
With 19 kills, Gray reached a monumental accomplishment of surpassing 500 career ACAA regular-season kills. He added 10 digs, three service aces, and one assist in one of his best games this season. Pineau contributed eight kills, three digs, and one service ace. Third-year setter Tyler McBride (Oakville, Ontario) and rookie setter Liam Galway (St. John’s, NL) combined for 35 assists and 10 digs.
The Hurricanes enter the 2025 ACAA Championships next weekend with a 10-9 regular season record, a 4-5 second-half record, and the third playoff seed. They will play the second-seed STU Tommies in a sudden-death semifinal match on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. It’s the fourth consecutive year Holland and STU have met each other to start the playoffs.
Connect with the men’s volleyball ‘Canes at www.x.com/canesmvball and www.instagram.com/canesmvball.
This past weekend’s Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) doubleheader between the women’s hockey Hurricanes and the league-leading Acadia University Axewomen at the Eastlink Centre was cancelled due to poor weather and travel conditions.
The doubleheader was supposed to be Holland’s last of the regular season. They were coming off back-to-back victories against the CBU Capers at the Eastlink Centre last weekend.
It’s unknown if the games will be abolished or postponed. The league has about two weeks to sort things out before the 2025 ACHA Championships are contested on the weekend of March 7-9 on Cape Breton Island.
Connect with the women’s hockey ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswhockey and www.instagram.com/caneswhockey. For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, visit www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.x.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.
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