Broncos lose tightly contested match to Medicine Hat

Olds College Broncos men's volleyball team lost a tightly contested match 3-0 (26-24, 26-24, 25-21) to the Medicine Hat College Rattlers in the Community Appreciation Night Friday, Nov. 22 at the Ralph Klein Centre.

The teams went back and forth for the majority of the first set, with the Rattlers pulling ahead to a 22-19 lead, but the Broncos quickly tied it up 22-22 and forced a Rattlers timeout. The teams then exchanged points until Medicine Hat pulled ahead to take the set 26-24.

The second set played out much like the first to start with the Broncos holding a 10-9 lead before the Rattlers went on a bit of a run to take a 14-10 lead. The teams then exchanged points until Thundersky Walkingbear came up to serve and brought the Broncos to a 15-15 tie, including a nice kill by Ryzen Walkingbear. The Rattlers got the lead back before a fantastic Braden Bates kill tied the game again. The teams went back and forth with Medicine Hat holding a small lead. A Philip Sutherland block brought the score to 20-20. Ryzen Walkingbear served the Broncos to a 22-20 lead and forced a Rattlers timeout. Phillip Sutherland scored an ace to put the Broncos up 24-21 and force another MHC timeout. MHC came out of the timeout with a run of their own to take the set 26-24.

The third set the Rattlers jumped out to a 4-2 lead before the Broncos went on a run to take a 5-4 lead, including a monstrous block by Thundersky Walkingbear. The teams exchanged points until the Broncos pulled out to a 10-8 lead. The Rattlers responded taking 12-11 and 16-14 leads. The Rattlers built a 19-16 lead forcing an Olds timeout. The Broncos took another timeout at 21-17. The Rattlers took a 23-17 lead out f the timeout  

Player of the game for Medicine Hat was KeAndre Evans with eight kills, two aces and 11 digs and the Pit Barbecue Player of the Game for the Broncos was Thundersky Walkingbear with seven kills 11 digs and a game high three blocks.

Broncos held the advantage in digs 51-45 and blocks 8-5 while Medicine Hat held the advantage in kills 33-30, assists 30-29, and service aces 8-5. Lukas Dragicevic had a team high eight kills, Thomas Puglsey had a team high 18 assists, Ryzen Walkingbear had a game high two service aces, Jesse Stoddart had a game high 18 digs and Braden Bates had a game high three blocks for Olds.

The Broncos host Medicine Hat College again tomorrow Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1:00 pm respectively.

To learn more about Olds College, the Olds College Broncos and the volleyball teams go to gobroncos.ca; like the Facebook page and follow @OldsBroncos on Twitter and Instagram.