After back-to-back solid performances, Kelly Young hopes she and her Camosun Chargers basketball teammates can continue the pace in the second half of the Pacwest basketball season.
Named female basketball athlete of the week, Young is coming off a pair of double-double performances, recording 24 points with 14 rebounds against Langara and 11 points and 14 rebounds versus Quest.
Young and the Chargers are on a four-game win streak and will entertain Douglas today at 6 p.m. and Capilano on Saturday at 1 p.m., with the men to follow at 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. on both days at the PISE gym.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just been effort level, honestly,鈥� the 20-year-old Oak Bay graduate said of her team鈥檚 latest success that has turned a poor 1-6 start into a 5-6 record. 鈥淲e know that we鈥檙e not strong enough of a team to get the results that we want without giving it 110 per cent every single time out.
鈥淔or me, personally, it鈥檚 mentality, I guess, knowing that I need to be at that level every single time we play.鈥�
It will be a much stiffer test this weekend as Douglas comes in at 10-1 and tied for first place while Capilano is third at 9-2.
鈥淭his weekend will be an exciting, tough time,鈥� added coach Carl MacDonald, who wouldn鈥檛 want it any other way. 鈥淲e believe we鈥檙e ready. We don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l surprise anybody, after these last four games.
鈥淧eople will be ready for us, but we鈥檒l be ready for them. We reinvented ourselves at Christmas and have come out in the new year, much stronger and unified as a group. It鈥檚 certainly been led by Kelly Young and Kathryn Candell , our co-captains, but the supporting cast has stepped right up and it鈥檚 a whole team effort.鈥�
Young is in her third year in the program and is third in the league in scoring with a 15.82 average and is also second in rebounds at 9.91 per game. Candell, from Pacific Christian, is in her second year and sits second in points, averaging 17 per game.
鈥淜elly had two weekends where she was a dominant force on the court. That鈥檚 nothing new for us and certainly not surprising for me,鈥� said MacDonald. 鈥淲e just think that people are more aware of it, but despite of the awareness, Kelly steps up above these challenges and rises to new levels every single week.鈥�
But at 5-6, the Chargers have a lot of ground to make up. The top six will advance to playoffs, with the top two earning first-round byes.
鈥淭he separation, from our point of view, was because we had such a horrible start, 1-6 at Christmas and now we鈥檙e 5-6 and hoping to bridge that gap and close that separation,鈥� said MacDonald.
Meanwhile, the Chargers men are 5-6 and in fifth place coming off losses to Langara and Quest. VIU leads the way at 11-0, Quest is next at 9-2 and Langara and Capilano are 7-4. Camosun鈥檚 opponent tonight, Douglas, is 4-7 and in sixth place, so it鈥檚 a key matchup.
SET POINTS: In volleyball, the rich got richer as the Chargers men鈥檚 team (already 15-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country) is benefitting from the return of Alex Sadowski for the second half of the season. Camosun heads to Douglas (10-4) this weekend.
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