By Justin Steenhof

The Briercrest College Clippers hosted an international team from Shanghai, China on Monday Dec 3 in a friendly exhibition. The Chinese used an efficient and extremely effective offense to take the match three sets to nothing, 25-18, 25-17, 25-12.

The team from China, Shanghai Youth Women, came out swinging and taking the lead early on but Briercrest answered narrowing the gap to four early in the set. Both teams struggled to serve the ball as Shanghai relied on hitting from the middle position as they reached the technical timeout with the score 16-10 for Shanghai.

Briercrest would come out strong earning straight points to earn the lead but again Shanghai would answer with well executed offense and solid blocking and regained the seven point lead.  The Chinese would look to close out the set but two kills from Mikayla Reinhardt would halt the Chinese push. However, they would not be denied and as they finished the first set winning 25-18 taking a one to nothing set lead.

The second set would start with the two teams trading points as Shanghai continued to run an efficient offense with Briercrest responding with offense of their own provided by Starlet Peterson. A stuff block by Elly Wendel followed by a serve would tie the game, but again Shanghai would respond and take the lead.

Wendel would continue her strong play completing another kill to pull Briercrest closer but again the Chinese would respond with their high powered offense riding it to a six point lead and a Clipper timeout with the score 21-15. However Shanghai would rely on some strong blocking to close out the second set 25-17 taking a two to nothing set lead as well.

The Chinese offense would continue to click as they jumped out to the early lead but strong serving by Wendel would tie the set early at sevens.  Again the Chinese would respond with their highly efficient offense to help regain the lead as they forced a Clipper timeout with the score 13-7. The Chinese continued to roll as they reached the second technical timeout leading 16-8

The Clippers could just not solve the Chinese offense as they continued to pour in the points leading 23-11 which forced Briercrest into a timeout. The Chinese would finish the set 25-12 and take the match three sets to nothing.