Recap

West Coast Wolverines Breeze to Sweep over Prairie Pronghorns

Wolverines Women Blitz Pronghorns for Quick Victory

Coming into this match, the overwhelming favorites had to be the Pronghorns, who went an impressive 4-1 on Day One of the Eastern Split, while the Wolverines struggled, going 1-4. Well, if this game was any indication, it should have been the other way around, as the Wolverines pair of Sabrina Lam and Sarah Dufour blasted their Pronghorns counterparts Emma Li and Kaytlynn Soroka 21-8.

Player of the Match Dufour got things going with a bang, smashing an overhand winner and three points later the Pronghorns took a timeout down 4-0. The Wolverines onslaught continued unabated, with both Lam and Dufour dinking well and sending unreturnable shots at the beleaguered Pronghorns, until a second timeout was warranted with the Wolverines up 15-4.

Soroka, who unfortunately was called for two foot fouls and Li did fight back a bit, getting the count to 16-8. Dufour, though, lit the Pronghorns up with a wicked overhand and Lam chipped in a sneaky set up and an overhand in the final moments to win it.

Wolverines Men Too Much for Pronghorns

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the way this key game went, one would have thought the Wolverines were the better team on day one. With two strong men’s teams going at it, the Wolverines Joel Pelletier and Jonas Dahler completely frustrated capable Pronghorns veterans Brad Chapman and Jeff Elwood, winning easily 21-12.

It was reasonably close early, with both teams feeling each other out and the score just 4-3 in favor of the Wolverines. But, on the next volley, Pelletier fired a backhand winner and then the Pronghorns made three uncharacteristic unforced errors to go down 8-3. With the Wolverines ahead 9-4, Chapman returned a serve long and he was visibly mad when the Pronghorns took a timeout.

Chapman did redeem himself after the rest, with a sweet ATP for a point, however Pelletier and Dahler pressed the Pronghorns repeatedly and forced a visibly shaken Chapman and Elwood to take another timeout with the Wolverines ahead 19-10. Pelletier got the game to 20-10 freeze with a forehand smash and Elwood replied with an overhand to delay the inevitable. Three volleys later it was all over.

Wolverines Pull Away from Pronghorns in Mixed Doubles, Win Match

It was by no means easy, what with the Pronghorns sending out a seasoned doubles team of Emma Li and Jeff Elwood, but the Wolverines Jonas Dahler and Sarah Dufour took care of business, winning the game 21-13 and sealing a match victory.

Through the first sixteen points, evenly split between both squads, there were extended dinking rallies and some great shots made, the majority off the paddle of Dahler. He was able to, in that Player of the Match Dufour played outstanding defense and rarely made a mistake. On the other side, Elwood was effective but was called for a foot foul and Li was targeted to make unforced errors.

Later, Dahler sent four smoking forehands Li’s way, allowing the Wolverines to take a commanding 14-9 lead. Elwood trimmed the margin to 144-10 with an amazing crossing shot, only to have Dahler take over again, drilling winner after winner and Dufour continued to back him up and added a big crossing shot winner of her own. At 19-13, a visibly frustrated Elwood found the Selkirk net on a return and Dahler followed up with an unreturnable backhand for the win.

Wolverines Complete Sweep with Impressive Come-From-Behind Triumph

In a game that had no effect on the match, it sure was entertaining watching the Wolverines Joel Pelletier and Sabrina Lam make a big comeback to trim the Pronghorns Brad Chapman and Kaytlynn Soroka, 21-16. Chapman ensured his side got off to a hot start, drilling a cross for the first point and then combining with Soroka to transition from offense to defense and dink their way to a 8-6 lead.

Pelletier and Lam, who made some early unforced errors, also caused the Pronghorns to do same, tying it up 10-10 later. But they couldn’t stop sending Dura balls wayward, allowing Chapman and Soroka to go up 14-12 on a Chapman overhand bomb. Chapman, though, went long on two subsequent returns on nice Wolverines rallies.

The Wolverines then forged ahead, as Lam showed great defensive acumen and the Pronghorns continued to make unforced errors. Chapman did deliver another overhand later to make it 18-16 Wolverines, only to have Pelletier and Lam stifle them defensively and score three in a row to complete the 4-0 whitewash.