Kodiaks begin busy weekend
By Jensen, Randy on January 30, 2020.
Lethbridge Herald
With a busy week on the court, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks are encouraging the campus community to get loud in support of mental health.
The Kodiaks are hosting a pep rally today in the college’s Centre Core as part of their RBC Make Some Noise for Mental Health initiative.
Students can play games and win prizes, while also learning about mental-health resources available to them. Student ambassadors will speak to build excitement ahead of the Kodiaks’ Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference volleyball games against the Ambrose University Lions tonight.
The Kodiaks began their Make Some Noise events at last week’s basketball games and will wrap them up at the volleyball games tonight with the women’s game at 6 p.m. and the men to follow at 8 p.m.
Tonight’s games will feature giveaways, games and prizes courtesy of the Lethbridge College’s Wellness Services department.
Last week, RBC presented the Kodiaks with a $1,000 cheque to be used for on-campus mental-health initiatives. RBC has also arranged for Kodiak student-athletes to take part in a Learning Success session, where they discuss life skills such as finances, long-term planning and preparing for life after college.
Speeches to the college community at the centre core will begin today around 11:15 a.m.
The Kodiaks women’s volleyball team heads into tonight on a two-game winning streak that puts them at 4-12 this season as they host the 10-8 Lions.
The Kodiaks are in sixth in the ACAC South Division with their slim playoffs hopes hinging on a few wins this weekend.
Two weekends ago the Kodiaks moved Jamie Brown from setter to the outside against the Olds Broncos and she responded with a combined 22 kills.
Mack Lewicki leads the Kodiaks in kills and is among the top 20 in the ACAC, averaging 2.35 per set.
The 13-3 Kodiaks men head into the weekend six points behind the South Division-leading SAIT Trojans, but still ranked second in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association rankings.
The Kodiaks have four games in hand on the Trojans.
Fifth-year Kodiak Carter Hansen is fourth in the ACAC in kills, averaging 3.79 per set. Zach Wikenheiser is third in the conference in assists, averaging 8.56 per set.
The Lions are 1-17 this season. The Kodiaks swept two first-semester meetings, but needed to rebound from a 2-0 deficit to earn a five-set win in their last meeting.
The Kodiaks basketball teams are on the road tonight as they head to Calgary to take on SAIT.
The 15-0 Kodiak men continue to sit atop the CCAA rankings and they’ll get a test against the fifth-ranked, 10-3 Trojans at 8 p.m.
Lethbridge is averaging over 97 points per game, more than five per game higher than any other team in the conference.
The Kodiaks have three of the top 10 scorers in the conference with Brock Dewsbery, Orin Porter Jr. and Chase Bohne all averaging more than 17 points per game.
In two first semester meetings, the Kodiaks swept the Trojans, winning 118-95 in Lethbridge and 99-83 in Calgary. The Kodiaks are responsible for two of the Trojans three losses this season.
Following a pair of losses to the Red Deer Queens last weekend, the 8-7 women Kodiaks are tied for third in the South Division with the Medicine Hat Rattlers with six games remaining in the regular season.
As ACAC championship hosts, the Rattlers are already guaranteed a post-season berth.
That puts the Kodiaks in a battle with Briercrest for the final playoff spot. Lethbridge is two points ahead of the Clippers, but Briercrest has two games in hand.
Millay Johnson arrived mid-season and the second-year from Barnwell scored 22 points in her debut last Friday, and added another 11 on Saturday.
The Kodiaks swept a pair of games against the 3-10 Trojans in the first semester.
Admission for home Kodiaks games is free to students with Lethbridge College ID cards, $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, youth and alumni and $4 for college employees and students with University of Lethbridge ID cards.
30-29
