Providence sports teams won four of five matches in two sports last weekend and continued their ascents in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference standings.

The women’s basketball team rebounded from a narrow defeat to Red River College by beating the University of Winnipeg College 63-45 on Thursday. Amber Harms led the way with 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Pilots rose to a share of second place in the MCAC; Courtney Engel contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

“Our points were spread out. Five of seven girls who played scored in the double digits,” remarked head coach Joel Coursey. “Now we prepare for a tough rematch with CMU at home on Sunday.

The unbeaten Canadian Mennonite University Blazers posted a lopsided 69-38 victory over Providence on November 7, but as Coursey points out his squad has been improving each time out.

Meanwhile, the women’s volleyball team continued its impressive campaign with straight-sets wins over both Red River and CMU on Friday and Saturday. National Christian College Athletic Association All-American Shayna Staerk executed 23 points and 12 digs between the two matches and Sam Bridle compiled 68 assists.

“We served really well, which automatically put us in control of more rallies, and I thought we did a good job of executing on offense and playing tough on defense,” analyzed head coach Scott Masterson, who was named NCCAA Division II Coach of the Year at the recent National Championship.

The Pilots have won 25 of 30 matches so far this season, competing mostly in NCCAA competition. But after finishing runners-up at the National Championship their attention will now shift to the MCAC, where they’ll no doubt add to a modest 3-1 record in the coming weeks.

The ladies will play another five matches before breaking for Christmas, and four of their contests can be watched on the Pilots’ livestream channel.

Finally, the men’s volleyball team responded to Friday’s 3-2 loss at Red River by beating CMU in straight sets in Otterburne.

Head coach Jason Peters said his side might well have won the Red River match after opening up a 2-0 advantage but failed to take their opportunities to close things out. The CMU match was another matter.“It was a nice bounce-back for us,” said Peters. “We were able to side out very efficiently, and other than a few runs of points we were very consistent. I was impressed with our composure and competitiveness. Offensively we were good across the board and it was a true team effort.”