HALIFAX: A former stand-out with the SAERC Saints girls volleyball program is now playing the same role in university.
On the weekend of March 12-13, Marcy MacNeil’s Mount Saint Vincent Mystics took the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association championship in their home gym, shutting out the St. Thomas Tommies in three sets.
MacNeil was named player of the game in the championship final, registering 15 kills and 14 digs.
“As a team, we did a really great job. I don’t believe in one person winning the title,” MacNeil told The Reporter. “My team is everything to me and I don’t think we would’ve won anything if everyone on the floor, wasn’t on the floor.”
Mount Saint Vincent defeated the Mount Allison Mounties in five sets to win the semi-final match, and MacNeil, a second year right side player, came away with 10 kills, two service aces, and nine digs in the hard fought win.
“The semi-final was a lot longer and harder of a game than our final was,” she noted. “Whenever we play MtA, we really always have a tough game against them. They’re good competition and we went into the game confident, knowing and trusting our abilities, and we came out on top.”
The Mystics beat the University of Kings College in three sets in the quarter finals.
“Kings is just a couple of blocks away from us in Halifax so we played them a lot throughout this semester and season,” said MacNeil. “They always give us a good game. We beat them in three pretty easily, so that was a good start to our road to the playoffs.”
After growing up around volleyball – when her mother and older sister both played, and her mother coached – MacNeil played four years with the SAERC girls volleyball team.
“Watching, you can learn so much more before you even begin to start playing. That was really key for me,” noted MacNeil. “Being on the SAERC team, I was the only one in my graduating year on the team, so I was the only one in my year playing. That really pushed me to become a leader on the court and ensure that everyone around me had their head up high, and confident in themselves, and that they could lean on me if they needed any help.”
With the championship win, the Mystics earned a spot in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball national tournament to be held at Holland College in PEI on March 25 to 27.
“I think we have a good shot at doing well. Because of the COVID year, a lot of the teams across the country, in Ontario and Alberta especially, haven’t really got the chance to play that much. We were lucky enough this past year, and last year, to practice at least a little bit throughout the year,” she added. “I think if we go in there, and we’re confident in our abilities, and we play the way we know that we can, we can do very well.”