By Reegan MacAulay
The Holland Hurricanes experienced mixed results in their final weekend of action in January, from a perfect weekend for both basketball teams at home to multiple close losses for both volleyball teams.
Here’s what’s happened in Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) competition between Friday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 26.
Women’s Volleyball
The women’s volleyball Hurricanes fought two close matches across the weekend with great efforts but fell short in both, losing 3-1 to the top-ranked Mount Allison Mounties on Friday at the McMillan Centre and coming five points short in a 3-2 extra-set loss to the Crandall University Chargers in Moncton, N.B. on Saturday
On Friday, a highly anticipated game began with the Mounties taking a commanding 20-12 lead in the first set. The Hurricanes then pulled off a 5-0 run to close the gap to 24-23, forcing a Mounties timeout. Mount Allison went on to win the set by a close 25-23 score. Holland kept things tight in the second set but came up short against a superior offensive performance by the Mounties 25-20.
Each team exchanged leads throughout most of the third set, but the Hurricanes showed their refusal to be swept, recording multiple kills and taking advantage of several attack errors by Mount Allison en route to a 25-21 set win, keeping the game alive. Unfortunately, Holland’s momentum was cut short in the third set; despite leading twice in the early stages, the Mounties pulled ahead 15-7. A turnaround attempt was made with a 5-0 run but was met with 2-0 and 8-0 runs, leading to a 25-13 set win and a 3-1 match win for Mount Allison.
On Saturday, a thrilling match was contested in Moncton; while Holland brought hope on the road after a hard-fought effort the night before, Crandall was hungry to end an eight-game losing streak and beat the Hurricanes in their third try, this time in front of their home crowd. Points, leads, and momentum were exchanged many times in an inconsistent match. While the Chargers took set one 25-18, Holland quickly bounced back to take set two 25-17 and set three 25-20. They came close to earning the game-win in set four but ultimately dropped it 25-22, forcing a fifth and extra set where they couldn’t match a more energetic and grittier clutch performance by the Chargers in the fifth and extra set, losing 15-10.
Fourth-year middle Myah Utrosa (Brooklin, Ontario) and fourth-year left-side Jamie Spencer (Fort Frances, Ontario) shined the most with a combined 28 kills, nine service aces, seven digs, and two assists over the weekend. Rookie setters Marissa O’Donnell (Fredericton, N.B.) and Madelyn Tomyn (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) also impressed, with O’Donnell scoring 22 assists in Saturday’s game, and Tomyn adding four kills, six digs, and three service aces in Sunday’s game.
The Hurricanes dropped to 7-9 after the weekend and are now tied for fifth in the conference with Dalhousie. The Mounties improved to 14-1 after Friday’s game and then defeated Crandall 3-1 on Sunday to exit the weekend at 15-1. The Chargers improved to 4-9 after Saturday’s game but dropped to 4-10 after Sunday’s loss against Mount Allison.
Holland enters the final month of the regular season looking to peak at the perfect time with the 2025 ACAA Volleyball Championships only weeks away. The hosting team returns to action with a Saturday afternoon matinee on Feb. 1 in Fredericton, N.B. against the fourth place, 8-8 St. Thomas University (STU) Tommies. The Tommies have been on fire since early January, going from 3-8 in their first 11 games to winning their last five. Next Saturday’s game will be the second and final between Holland and STU.
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Men’s Volleyball
The men’s volleyball Hurricanes had their five-game winning streak come to a close in Moncton, N.B. on Saturday as they were upset by the men’s Crandall University Chargers 3-1.
The third of four matches on the season between Holland and Crandall began with a highly competitive first set. The Chargers held a close lead for most of it but the Hurricanes forced Crandall to call a timeout after tying things up 23-23. The Chargers came in clutch with a 2-0 run to take the set 25-23. Set two featured a similar pattern, but this time, Crandall pulled ahead from 13-11 to 16-11, forcing a Hurricanes timeout. Things worsened for Holland as Crandall’s lead extended to 19-11, with the Chargers eventually winning the set 25-17.
The bad luck continued into the third set as Crandall jumped ahead 9-3. After another Hurricanes timeout, Holland finally found the momentum and intensity they needed, keeping the score close to the end. One more timeout was called while down 23-22, which led to a 2-0 run, a Chargers timeout, and a back-and-forth melee beyond 25 points that Holland ultimately claimed 28-26.
Sadly, the comeback attempt was quickly devoured early in the fourth and final set, as Crandall jumped out to 6-0 and 10-1 leads. The Hurricanes managed to pile on some decent points, but by then, it was too late, rewarding Crandall with a well-deserved “third time’s the charm” result.
Third-year left-side Carson Gray (Stratford, P.E.I.) and second-year middle Brett MacAusland (Summerside, P.E.I.) combined for 24 of Holland’s kills, adding four digs and one service ace. Third-year setter Tyler McBride (Oakville, Ontario) and second-year setter John MacKinnon (York, P.E.I.) combined for 35 assists, adding five digs, one kill, and one service ace.
The Hurricanes dropped to 8-5 but held on to third in the conference while the Chargers improved to 4-11, remaining fifth with their second win in their last four games.
Despite the loss, Holland remains stellar in the second half of the regular season with five wins in their last six games. An opportunity for revenge against Crandall comes on Wednesday, Jan. 29 with another match in Moncton, N.B. It will be each team’s final game of January with championship month just beyond the horizon.
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Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball Hurricanes broke out of a first-place tie this past weekend and head into February as the conference’s top team after collecting two victories at home against the Crandall University Chargers.
On Saturday, looking to rebound from an underperformed previous weekend against STU, the Hurricanes came flying out of the gates with a 29-15 lead after the first quarter. Fourth-year guard Amy Plaggenhoef (Stratford, P.E.I.) recorded 13 points and went 5-for-8 in field goals and 3-for-6 in three-pointers in the quarter alone. The second quarter featured a continuation of Holland’s dominance and elite net-front presence, which helped them extend their lead to 47-25 by halftime. The third quarter was their best, outshooting the Chargers 26-12 and leading by a country-wide 73-37 score. Things slowed down in the fourth and final quarter but the game had already been considered finished, with the final score being 82-47 for Holland.
On Sunday, seeking to end January on a high note, the Hurricanes had another fantastic game start, jumping out to a 19-7 lead in the first quarter. As the second quarter progressed, Crandall showed great determination and resilience in tying the score 32-32 by the buzzer. The Chargers kept their effort going in a back-and-forth third quarter, ultimately coming out down 54-51. Eventually, Holland regained their dominant form in the fourth and final quarter with a 9-0 run and clutch performances by rookie guard Karissa George (New Glasgow, N.S.), third-year guard Lauren Armstrong (Canberra, Australia), and Plaggenhoef, leading them to a 75-59 win.
Armstrong had her highest-scoring two-game weekend of the season with 37 points; her 26-point performance on Sunday was her best single-game effort up to this point. Over the weekend, she added a 12-for-27 field-goal record, a 4-for-9 three-point record, a 9-for-10 free-throw record, 18 rebounds, eight assists, seven steals, and two blocks. Rookie guard Nykeva Brown (Halifax, N.S.) had her best game as a Hurricane on Saturday, recording 18 points, a 6-for-10 field-goal record, a 10-for-13 free-throw record, 10 rebounds, five assists, and eight steals.
The Hurricanes improved to 11-3 after the weekend, solidifying first place by two points over MSVU to end January. They went 5-1 in the month alone and now carry a two-game winning streak into the regular season’s final month. The Chargers dropped to 1-13 and remain at the bottom of the conference, two points back of UNBSJ for the final playoff spot.
Holland will have two doubleheaders in February ahead of the 2025 ACAA Basketball Championships, starting with arguably their most important of the season next weekend. The third place, 9-3 Mount Allison Mounties will visit the McMillan Centre for the first time this season on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2 looking to jump into a tie for first place.
Next Saturday’s doubleheader will also be Holland’s last regular season home games.
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Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better ending to their second-to-last month of the regular season, adding to their previous weekend’s doubleheader sweep at home with another one this past Saturday and Sunday, defeating the men’s Crandall University Chargers.
On Saturday, the Hurricanes brewed a storm to start the game, jumping out to a 32-15 lead in the first quarter. The Chargers caught them off guard in the second quarter, outscoring Holland 28-13 to close the gap to 45-43 at halftime. The Hurricanes thrashed back in the third quarter to gain a 15-point lead by the final buzzer, leading 76-61. They ultimately cruised to a 96-75 win.
Sunday’s game was possibly the most chaotic of the season for the Hurricanes, featuring shades of the two team’s first matchup against each other back in November 2024. Crandall pulled ahead 12-4 and 23-8 in the first quarter, capitalizing on multiple three-pointers, but Holland slowly decreased the gap to 25-20 by the buzzer. The Chargers remained ahead through the second quarter while the Hurricanes ensured they didn’t pull far ahead, keeping Crandall at a 43-40 lead at halftime.
Each team continued to exchange points in the third quarter. Holland managed to take a 52-51 lead thanks to great plays by third-year guards Dorrell Bedminster (Hamilton, Ontario) and Zachary Dawkins (Edmonton, Alberta), but the Chargers responded with an 8-0 run, adding some free throws and a jump shot in the final minute to lead 63-54 at the buzzer.
The fourth and final quarter came down to the wire as the Hurricanes gave their all to maintain their winning streak, which rewarded them in dramatic fashion. They gained a 76-71 lead with 1:51 remaining but then gave up three jump shots within a minute, putting them down 77-76 with 22 seconds remaining. The Chargers looked to be on their way to a huge win until, with three seconds remaining, a foul allowed second-year forward Owen Parsons (Hebbville, N.S.) to score two free throws to secure the victory, 78-77.
Second-year guard Aaron Simmons (Nassau, Bahamas) led the Hurricanes all weekend with 47 points, a 20-for-34 field-goal record, a 6-for-11 three-point record, 10 rebounds, four assists, and six steals. Fifth-year guard Bryce Corless (Quispamsis, N.B.) continued his charge for the most points in the conference, recording 31 points, a 12-for-29 field-goal record, a 7-for-18 three-point record, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and eight steals; he now sits 23 points back of STU’s Noah McCarthy.
The Hurricanes improved to 9-5 after the weekend and are now tied for second in the conference with UNBSJ. They went 5-1 in January alone and enter February with a four-game winning streak. The Chargers dropped to 7-7 after the weekend, extending their losing streak to four games and keeping them fourth in the conference, four points back of Holland.
While first place is likely out of reach for the Hurricanes, they are very much in the battle to secure second place, which, if clinched next month, will give them an automatic spot in the 2025 ACAA Basketball Championships semifinals. They return to action with a crucial McMillan Centre doubleheader next weekend on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2 against the seventh place, 1-11 Mount Allison Mounties, who seek to end an eight-game losing streak and chase the final playoff spot.
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