Three Stars: Kerrison, Ntiamoah, Wray earn honours
EDMONTON – Shane Kerrison is MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after his performance in leading the Griffins men's volleyball team to a weekend split with Regina.
Kerrison matched a career high with 23 kills and calmly served three in a row with his team facing match point in the third set as the Griffins recovered from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Regina 3-2 on Friday.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Amanda Ntiamoah of the women's indoor track team and third star Christopher Wray of the men's hockey team.
Kerrison and Ntiamoah are making their first appearances of the season on the three stars list, while Wray is making his second, having previously been named third star on Oct. 10.
1st STAR: Shane Kerrison, OH, men's volleyball
Sturgeon County, AB, fifth-year, Open Studies
As his Canada West career nears its completion in the stretch run of his final season, Kerrison put forth one of the best games he's ever had on Friday, matching a career-high with 23 kills in leading the Griffins to a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Regina Cougars.
That ties for the second-best mark in MacEwan's Canada West history.
He was an unstoppable force for the Griffins on the outside, consistently hammering hard kills off the sides or through the Regina block. He added 18 digs and a block.
Although it doesn't show in the stats, Kerrison had ice in his veins as the match hung in the balance when he went to the service line late in the third set. The Griffins were trailing the match 2-0 and the set 24-23 when Kerrison calmed floated three serves in a row over the net, leading to two blocks from teammate Max Vriend and an over bump that Vriend put away for the decisive point. The Griffins rallied from there to win the match 3-2.
Kerrison added 15 kills, an ace, 11 digs and six blocks in another five-set battle on Saturday.
Although he hasn't played in every match this season for the Griffins, Kerrison's still fourth in kills on the team with 105 and second in kills/set with 2.50.
2nd STAR: Amanda Ntiamoah, women's indoor track
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Commerce
On Saturday, Ntiamoah completed her first ACAC race for MacEwan since graduating in 2016 and then not running with the Griffins last season before returning to work on another degree.
Despite being a sprinting specialist, accustomed to the 60 metres indoors, she adjusted well to the 300-metre distance that the ACAC runs during the MacEwan Invitational at the Kinsmen Field House.
Ntiamoah easily won the race in 42.26, beating runner-up Kayla Enders of Lethbridge by nearly two full seconds.
Although the time was a half-second slower than the ACAC record of 41.55 that teammate Nikita Case set last season, Ntiamoah proved she's going to make a run at taking a mark that she once held back.
She later helped the Griffins win the women's 4x400-metre relay by 17 seconds over runner-up Red Deer College.
Amanda Ntiamoah cruises across the finish line for a comfortable win in the women's 300 metres at the MacEwan University Invitational indoor track meet on Saturday (Len Joudrey photo).
3rd STAR: Christopher Wray, G, men's hockey
Edmonton, AB, fifth-year, Arts
The veteran fifth-year Griffins goaltender put together one of his finest performances of the season, making 36 saves to lead MacEwan to a 2-1 victory over the Red Deer College Kings on Saturday night in Penhold, AB.
Wray was sharp throughout the contest as the Kings outshot the visitors 37-29.
The performance has extra weight given the importance of the victory. The Griffins had lost 5-4 to the Kings in double overtime on Friday, but the bounce-back pulled them to within two points of RDC for second place in the ACAC standings.
For the season, Wray has a 2.79 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
Chris Wray stopped 36 of 37 shots on the road as the MacEwan Griffins beat Red Deer College 2-1 - a key win that moves them within two points of the Kings for second in the ACAC standings (Matthew Jacula photo).
