Game Recap
WOMENS VOLLEYBALL (CANADA WEST)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
TWU SPARTANS (2) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA BISONS (3)
(13-25, 26-24, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPARTANS DROP THRILLING FIVE SETTER.
WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team won a nail biter on Saturday November 21 2009. The No. 3 team in Western Canada held off a late Trinity Western University Spartans comeback at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, as they beat the No. 6 ranked team 3-2 (13-25, 26-24, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14).
“This weekend the girls showed a lot of character in how they can battle back from behind and I believe that is the start to doing some really good things as a team. To come back from down eight in the fifth set to tie is huge,” commented an enthusiastic head coach Ryan Hofer. “Lauren O’Reilly and Andrea Ball had outstanding weekends for us they played phenomenally well. This a team that is going through some growing pains and we are going to go through some frustrations, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel I believe if we keep working hard and stay relentless and hungry for it.”
The Spartans dominated the first set to open up the match. The Bisons were having trouble with their passing game and that seemed to slow them down. Trinity Western was having no such problems as their passes were leading to good scoring opportunities. Both teams were bringing the heat though as big hits were everywhere. The exciting play was pleasing the crowd, and at one point had Bisons middle Tricia Mayba nearly going into the stands to save a point. The bad passing led Manitoba to only connecting on nine of their kill attempts; compare that to Trinity Western’s 16 kills. That led them to a 25-13 first set win.
The tone was brought down a bit in the second set as the Herd tightened up on their passing. By the midway point of the set the Bisons already had nine kills; the same amount as their entire first set. The Spartans found themselves falling behind a Bisons offence that was recovering from a first set lapse. Manitoba was threatening to tie up the match with a 24-22 lead, but Trinity Western wasn’t making it easy as they battled hard with timely blocks to tie the game up at 24. After a missed Spartan serve the Bisons took their chance and finished the set with a crosscourt kill by co-captain Sarah Morrissette, winning the set 26-24.
The match was much of the same in the third set as both teams were vying to take the lead in the match. Manitoba started the set down 3-0, but got on the board with a big double-block. That seemed to light the fire as the Bisons kept with Trinity Western and took the lead at 11-10. The two women’s teams battle hard the rest of the way with both teams spiking the ball hard. With the Herd leading 22-20, the Spartans missed a critical crosscourt spike that put Manitoba in the driver’s seat. That missed contributed to 14 percent on their kill attempts. The Bisons were slightly worse at 10 percent. Trinity Western didn’t give up, scoring three points, but the Bisons took the set 25-23.
The Bisons came out in the fourth set dominating the net. Trinity Western was having trouble getting the ball past Manitoba defenders, let alone getting any points. In one series the Bisons blocked the Spartans three times in a row and took an early 5-0 lead. Manitoba continued controlling the set, at one point having a 19-13 lead, but Trinity Western wouldn’t give up. Taking it point by point, the Spartans slowly chipped into the Bisons lead. After a spike sailed long, the Spartans took their first lead of the set 22-21. With the momentum on the Spartans side, the Bisons couldn’t get their game back as Trinity Western stole the set 25-23, finishing with a big block for the clinching point.
The fifth set was shaping up to be a quick one for Manitoba as they had a 13-5 advantage, needing only two points to clinch the match. But the Spartans were intent on taking this match down to its final breath. Trinity Western once again started chipping into the Bisons lead and tied it up at 13-13 with a huge crosscourt kill by Outside Hitter Kara Jansen Van Doorn. The Herd was determined and took a 15-14 lead. The match was clinched by a double-block that brought a stop to the Spartans comeback.
Manitoba was led by Kate Wasyliw who had 15 kills. Trinity Western was led by Kim Klassen who also had 15.
The University of Manitoba women’s volleyball team (7-2) won’t see action until after the winter break when they take on Thompson Rivers on January 8, 2010. Game time set for 6:00 p.m. Trinity Western (3-5) play the Calgary Dinos next on November 27 and 28.
-TW-
-courtesy of Manitoba Sports Information.
