Three Stars: Stevenson, Kartusch, Cornelis earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Women's volleyball student-athlete Mckenna Stevenson is the MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after her performance in the first playoff series in program history.
Over a two-game series loss to the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack, Stevenson combined for 21 kills, two service aces, 16 blocks, six digs and accounted for 32.0 points.
Other stars recognized this week include second star Andrew Kartusch of men's hockey and third star Hailey Cornelis of women's volleyball.
Stevenson is being honoured for the second time this season, having also been named first star on Nov. 12. Both Kartusch and Cornelis are stars of the week for the first time in 2019-20.
1st STAR: Mckenna Stevenson, MB, women's volleyball
Sturgeon County, AB, fifth-year, Arts
Playing her heart out in the final action of her illustrious five-year women's volleyball career, Stevenson led the Griffins admirably in the first playoff series in program history.
Although the result didn't go their way – a two-game sweep at the hands of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack – the middle blocker showed why she was one of the best at the position in Canada West this season.
In Friday's 3-1 Game 1 loss to TRU, she led the Griffins with 13 kills, an ace, five blocks and accounted for 16.5 points.
In Saturday's 3-2 Game 2 loss to TRU, she established a program playoff mark that may not be touched for some time by recording 11 blocks. Stevenson also had eight kills, an ace and three digs, while accounting for a team-high 15.5 points.
Stevenson finishes her career as the Griffins' career Canada West regular season leader in blocks (380) and sets played (389), is second in kills (723) and points (1,040.5), and fourth in service aces (105).
2nd STAR: Andrew Kartusch, D, men's hockey
Red Deer, AB, second-year, Arts
The reigning Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference rookie of the year continued his strong second-year play for the Griffins by making key contributions on both ends of the ice in a weekend sweep of the Portage College Voyageurs.
Kartusch had two goals and an assist in the Griffins' 9-2 win over Portage in Lac La Biche, Alta. on Friday, scoring MacEwan's fifth and sixth goals of the game within 2:15 of each other, early in the third period.
The defencemen then added a huge goal in Saturday's 9-1 win at the Downtown Community Arena – MacEwan's fourth of the game, coming just 1:01 after the Voyageurs scored to restore the Griffins' three-goal lead.
As usual, his steady defensive play contributed to MacEwan's sterling 1.50 goals against average on the weekend.
For the season, Kartusch has four goals and nine points in 20 games played.
He leads MacEwan into their final weekend of the regular season vs. NAIT on Friday (7 p.m., DCA) and Saturday (6 p.m., NAIT Arena).
Andrew Kartusch snuck in from the point and scored MacEwan's fourth goal of the contest in Saturday's 9-2 win. He finished the weekend with three goals and an assist (Jake Bradley photo).
3rd STAR: Hailey Cornelis, OH, women's volleyball
Legal, AB, fifth-year, Arts
Showing the huge impact she can have on the game in the final weekend of her solid five-year women's volleyball university career, Cornelis came up big for the Griffins in a weekend playoff series loss to Thompson Rivers University.
In Friday's 3-1 loss to the WolfPack, she produced 12 kills, five blocks, 14 digs and accounted for 14.5 points.
In Saturday's 3-2 defeat, she led the Griffins with 10 kills, adding two service aces, five blocks and 12 digs, while accounting for 15.0 points.
Cornelis finishes her career among MacEwan's program leaders in Canada West career kills (427 – 5th), aces (72 – 6th), digs (746 – 5th), blocks (151 – 5th) and points (712.0 – 6th).
Hailey Cornelis had 22 kills in two playoff games against the TRU WolfPack on the weekend (Eduardo Perez photo).
