Scheduled Game: @Manitoba*

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 3 T Trinity Western 28 26 25 3 « FINAL Manitoba 26 24 22 0

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Game Recap

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012
TRINITY WESTERN (3) MANITOBA (0)
(28-26, 26-24, 25-22)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS BEAT NO. 2 BISONS IN THREE SETS

LANGLEY, British Columbia – Riding the high-flying attack of Rudy Verhoeff and Steven Marshall and the record-breaking setting of Ben Ball, the No. 1 Trinity Western men’s volleyball team earned a 3-0 (28-26, 26-24, 25-22) win over No. 2 Manitoba Saturday at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.

After falling in straight sets to the Bisons Friday night, the Spartans rallied from late deficits in all three sets – trailing at the 16-point technical timeout on each occasion – and also managed to overcome 14 serving errors to escape Manitoba with a weekend split.

Verhoeff and Marshall were the Spartans catalysts on this night as they each had both 18 kills and eight digs. Verhoeff added three blocks while Marshall had two blocks. Ball had a game-high 50 assists, which sets a new Spartans three-set record, bettering Josh Howatson’s mark of 47 against Calgary Jan. 21, 2006.

As for Manitoba, Chris Voth led the way with 13 kills and a game-high 13 digs, while Dane Pischke had 11 kills, 12 digs and three blocks and Joseph Brooks had six kills and three blocks.

With the win, the Spartans improve to 15-1 while the loss drops Manitoba to 14-2.

“The guys showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage tonight to respond after last night,” said Spartans coach Ben Josephson. “We showed our passion to equal our purpose and that’s something we talked about before the game. I’m really happy with how the guys responded.

“I thought our guys were great. It was fun, fun volleyball and fun to beat such a good team in a hostile environment. Now we control our own destiny in terms of going after first place. But I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll be seeing those guys once or twice before this season is over.”

In the opening set, the Bisons, after finding themselves down 4-1 off the start, got rolling shortly thereafter and opened an early 10-7 lead. The Spartans, however, responded with four of the next five points to tie the game 11-11.

From there, the Bisons once again pull ahead, building three-point leads at 17-14, 18-15 and then 21-18.

But with the score 21-18, the Spartans rallied with three straight points, with the last point one coming off an extended rally that had been kept alive by several remarkable Manitoba digs.

The Bisons collected themselves and managed to earn a chance at set-point at 24-23 and then again at 25-24, but, unfortunately for the home side, the Spartans were going to be denied.

With the game tied 26-26, Trinity Western got back-to-back kills from Marshall to give them a come from behind 28-26 win. Despite committing six serving errors – something that plagued the Spartans Friday night as well – Trinity Western managed to take its first set of the weekend.

The second set was almost a carbon copy.

The Bisons took the lead at 8-5 and held it for much of the contest with Trinity Western continually battling back but unable to take a lead. Finally with the score tied 17-17, the Spartans got the next point to take the lead for the first time since a 2-1 advantage.

But as was the case in both the first two sets, the Spartans suffered greatly from serving errors, committing six by the end of the set, and the Bisons went on to build a 22-20 lead and then a 24-22 lead.

With set point at stake, like the first set, Trinity Western clawed back and again it was Marshall playing hero as his kill tied the game 24-24. From there, the Spartans kept rolling as they managed to score the last four points of the match, with a pair of Bisons attack errors giving Trinity Western the set 26-24.

In the third set, the tables turned in the early going as this time it was Trinity Western getting off to a good start, taking an 8-5 lead.

The Spartans managed to open a three-point lead again at 12-9 and 13-10 but then Manitoba came back with a 4-0 run to take a 14-13 lead. With a kill by Voth kill that tied it and a block by Pischke that gave Manitoba the advantage, the Bisons suddenly had momentum.

Manitoba then took a 19-17 lead but that edge was fleeting as Trinity Western went on a 4-1 run to take the lead back 21-20. But, like the Spartans did in the first two sets, the Bisons weren’t going to go away easily as they rallied to tie the game 21-21 and 22-22.

Then the big swingers for Trinity Western were deployed as Verheoff got back-to-back kills and Marshall got finishing blow as the Spartans won 25-22.

The Spartans are back on the road next weekend as they will be in Calgary to take on the Dinos Feb. 3-4. The Bisons be back in action Feb. 1 when they will play the first of a home and home with Winnipeg. The second game goes Feb. 4 back at the Bisons gym.

Game Notes – Trinity Western had an attacking percentage of .308 compared to Manitoba’s .235…TWU had three aces to Manitoba’s one…Manitoba had just four serving errors to TWU’s 14…TWU had 10 blocks to Manitoba’s nine.

-TW-

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