SPARTANS HOST UBC OKANAGAN IN FINAL HOME WEEKEND OF THE SEMESTER

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (CANADA WEST)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011
UBC-OKANAGAN PREVIEW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS HOST UBC OKANAGAN IN FINAL HOME WEEKEND OF THE SEMESTER

LANGLEY, British Columbia - Back in action at the Langley Events Centre, the Spartan women’s volleyball team will play the UBC Okanagan Heat in a pair of games. The Spartans have something to prove in a two important games in keeping the Spartans in the CIS top 10. The games will start at 6 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Langley Events Centre. Live streaming video and live stats are available for all volleyball games at canadawest.tv.

Trinity Western Spartans (4-2)
Last Weekend: Regina 3-1 W, 3-0 W
2011 CIS Rank: 10
2010-2011 CW Record: 15-3, 2nd
2010-2011 CW Tournament: 3-1, 2nd
2010-2011 CIS Tournament: 2-1, 3rd

The Spartan women’s volleyball team has been flirting with the bottom of the CIS rankings in recent weeks. Following a few weeks ranked, they abruptly fell from the list last week, before being reinstated in the latest coaches poll. Now sitting at No. 10 they will take on the unranked UBC-O Heat at home in the Langley Events Centre.

In the Spartan home opener last weekend, the Spartans did not disappoint in front of their home fans. Trinity Western started strong, getting a 25-23 set win over their opponent to go up 1-0. The Cougars showed spirit to come back for a tie game, by taking the second set 25-22.

After the loss, the Spartans opened up and took control of the match. The third set was a 25-15 Trinity Western dominated affair that sparked a similarly Spartan 25-19 win in the fourth.

Royale Richardson led the Spartans in the winning effort with 16 kills. Amy Leschied also impressed with 12 kills and 10 digs.

In the following game the Spartans shook off a relentless Cougars team to take a three set win. In the first set the Spartans got a 25-23 lead over Regina to make it 1-0. The Spartans then managed to stay on top for another close 25-23 game before overcoming an early deficit to win the third set and end the weekend with a 25-22 win.

Once again the Spartans had a strong performance from Leschied, who had a match-leading 11 kills as well as eight digs. Leschied leads the team with 68 kills on the season, while Chelsea Hudson is the runaway leader in assists with 189 so far.

UBC Okanagan Heat (2-4)
Last Weekend: Manitoba 3-2 W, 3-1 L
2011 CIS Rank: N/A
2010-2011 CW Record: N/A
2010-2011 CW Tournament: N/a
2010-2011 CIS Tournament: N/A

In their first year in Canada West, the Heat have been competitive despite facing ranked opponents in all of their games so far. Last weekend UBC Okanagan got a split against the No. 5 Manitoba Bison on the Manitoba home court.

Game one was a roller coaster affair as the two teams went back and forth in a hard-fought game. The Heat brought the heat first, getting a 25-17 berth over the Bison and making an impression in the first ever regular season meeting between the two teams. But the Bison were not finished, and came back to win the second set with a score of 25-17.

The third set gave UBC-O a 2-1 set advantage over the Bison, as the Heat won 25-23. Once again tying it up, the Bison earned 25-15 rout of the Heat to take it to a fifth set. Finally, in the race to 15 the two teams went back and forth, but ultimately it was the Heat that earned the 15-13 fifth set win to take the match 3-2.

In game two the Heat took the first set 25-19 but that was the only set that they were able to win, and the Bison swept the remaining three sets with scores of 26-24, 25-18, and 25-19. Myrte Schon led the team in the losing effort with 13 kills and 9 digs.

The Spartans and Heat have never met in a regular season game, but in the preseason the teams played on Oct. 14, with the Spartans getting the upper hand in a 3-1 match.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2011-11-24
Author: Mark Janzen
Email: Mark.Janzen@twu.ca