MONTREAL – Elyssa Lajmi scored 13 points and Emilia Grigorova added 11.5 as McGill extended its win streak to six after sweeping the visiting UQTR Patriotes 3-0, Friday. The set scores were 25-20, 25-21 and 25-19.
It was the team’s annual “pink game”, a fundraiser for breast cancer, and played before a season-high crowd of more than 400, along with the McGill Fight Band, at Love Competition Hall.
The win streak is the most since a similar six-game stand last year that was halted with a loss to the Montreal Carabins on Feb. 18, 2024. The school record is nine in a row, including a playoff game, during the second semester of the 2018-19 season.
The Martlets have now won 13 consecutive sets dating back to the fourth set of a 3-2 win over Laval on Jan. 12.
“We were really focused on the job that we had to do, in preparation for teams that we will meet later on,” said McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau. “That means executing the game plan, following it as much as possible and remaining calm in difficult situations. Today we were able to use the middle a lot more, which was good because we have relied more on our outside hitters for much of the season.That helped create more diversity in our offence and to see our middles hit some good balls (for points).”
Despite being swept, UQTR had the upper-hand in kills (35-29), digs (55-48) and assists (34-28). McGill had a decided advantage in stuff blocks (14-4) and kill efficiency (17.5 per cent compared to UQTR’s 6.8).
Lajmi scored the bulk of her points on the strength of a dozen kills and now ranks third among league leaders with 178 kills. She also added a pair of assisted blocks, to go along with 10 digs and an assist.
Grigorova collected her points on four kills, three service aces, one block and seven assisted blocks. She added one dig.
Pacing the Patriotes was Elizabeth Boivin and Marie-Pierre Gauvin with a dozen points each.
The result improved McGill’s record to 10-7 in league play as the Martlets remained in a three-way tie for third place in the eight-team RSEQ conference with Laval (10-6) and UQAM (10-7). The top four teams qualify for post-season play and with four games left before playoffs, McGill’s magic number to clinch a spot ahead of UQAM is four. Any combination of McGill wins or UQAM losses equaling four will eliminate the Citadins. But with Laval in the mix, the Martlets magic number to finish ahead of the Rouge et Or is five.
McGill now looks to extend its win streak on Feb. 2 at ETS (0-16) with a 5 p.m. tip-off. Then the Martlets will conclude their schedule with a road game at UQTR (4-13) on Feb. 6, followed by home games against UQAM (10-7) on Feb. 9 and Montreal (16-1) on Feb. 16.
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