Game Recap

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (CIS CHAMPIONSHIP)
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2010
TWU SPARTANS (3) VS. QUEENS UNIVERSITY GAELS (0)
(25-19, 25-23, 25-19)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS ON TO SEMI-FINALS WITH SWEEP OF GAELS

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia – The Trinity Western University Spartans remained perfect in CIS Championship quarter final matches with a 3-0 win over the Queen’s University Gaels Friday afternoon at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops, B.C.

The 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 win moves the No. 7 Spartans championship record to 10-3 and earns them a semi-final match with the Universite Laval. With the loss the OUA champion Gaels are relegated to the consolation side of the draw and a match with the University de Montreal and see their overall CIS record drop to 2-8. In their five appearances the Spartans, who beat Queen’s 3-0 at the 2006 championship, have never lost an opening match at the CIS championship, while the Gaels in their five appearances have yet to win an opening match.

Spartans coach Ben Josephson felt the match was closer than the score indicated. “One of the things we try to pride ourselves on is if the opposition can execute with us, then we hope to win 25-23.  I thought Queen’s raised their level of play in the second and third sets.  I don’t think we changed our play, they got better.”

“I was pretty disappointed with our serving,” said Queen’s coach Brenda Willis “Today, we made a lot of untimely errors. We needed to serve better against a very good offense.  Ben (Ball, 3rd year, Abbotsford, B.C.) is a very good setter. We were being aggressive and we made more errors than we would have liked.”

The Gaels were in each of the sets.  “Physically, I think we match up,” said Willis. “ I would love to play Trinity on a regular basis because I think we could both grow from playing each other.  In Ontario, there aren’t any teams which run that tempo of offence with three or four attackers coming at you all the time. We weren’t used to it.”

Josephson thought the Spartans’ speed dictated the match.  “I thought Queen’s had a tough time getting used to our angles and speed at the start of the match.  We thought we are a pretty fast team.  I have to admit that some of their plays had us off guard.  In Canada West, we don’t see a lot of second tempo and they were really effective when they executed them.”

Queen’s came out strong to start and took advantage of TWU errors to take the early 4-1 lead. But the Spartans settled down and after a kill by leftside Paul Lindemulder of Red Deer, Alta. the Spartans led 8-7 at the first break. TWU keep the momentum going as left side Steven Marshall gave the Spartans an impressive 16-11 lead at the second break. The Spartans maintained the margin through the end of the set as they opened with a solid 25-19 win.TWU hit for 33.3 percent, while Queens finished at 16 percent. Leftside Steven Marshall of Abbotsford, B.C. led all players with five kills.

The second set was tight to the first break, with TWU leading 8-6 after a cross court kill by TWU’s Lindemulder. On the next point the Spartans Marshall scrambled into the stands to get a second ball. After an extended rally the Spartans would take the point to lead 9-6. The play however energized TWU as the Spartans quickly took over the set to lead 16-10 at the second break. The Gaels did not back down and after three straight points, including a service ace by middle Sam Pedlow of Barrie, Ont., the OUA champs had tied the second set at 21-21. The Spartans regained control after back-to-back stuff blocks by TWU on outside Joren Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont. to give the Spartans a 24-22 lead. A kill by the Gaels outside Bryan Fautley of Oakville, Ont. held of set point and forced TWU into a timeout. Out of the break the Spartans went to their Canada West first team all-star Marshall who hit a pipe ball to five, which was unsuccessfully dug by Queen’s, to finish of the set 25-23 and give TWU the two sets to none lead. Both teams’ offence improved with TWU hitting at 43.5 percent, while Queen’s hit at 37 percent.  Marshall led the Spartans with seven kills, while Zeeman and Fautley each had four for the Gaels.

The third set was tight from the start with Queen’s taking an 8-6 lead into the break after a kill by middle Michael Amoroso of Toronto. The Spartans some momentum away from the Gaels with a 10-6 run to take a 16-14 lead into the second break. Queen’s closed the deficit to one, 18-17 after a block by the Gaels outside Niko Rukavina of Mississauga, Ont. But that was as close as Queen’s would get as TWU finished with a seven to two run to take the set 25-19 and the match 3-0.

The Spartans were led by Blackberry Game MVP Marshall who had 15 kills in 25 chances.  Ball wound up with 36 assists and six digs.

Queen’s main man was Bryan Fautley who had 11 kills in 20 opportunities.  “He had a great game on the right side,” said Willis. “But we needed to pass better and were almost playing transition defence the entire match.” Setter Daniel Rosenbaum of Hamilton finished with 33 assists.

The Spartans match with Laval Rouge et Or in one of the Championship Semi Finals will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, while Queen’s match with Montreal in the consolation side semi finals on Saturday will start at 1 p.m.

Other opening round match ups have the host Thompson Rivers University WolfPack meeting the two time defending national champion Alberta Golden Bears at 6 pm PDT.  The final match of the day has Calgary Dinos facing Dalhousie Tigers at 8 pm PDT.

Match Notes: TWU had the edge in blocks six to five, hitting percentage 40.5 percent to 26.9 percent, kills 40 to 37and service aces seven to two…the two teams each had 19 digs…

-TW-