Game Recap
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (CANADA WEST PLAYOFFS)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2010
TWU SPARTANS (3) VS. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA PANDAS (1)
(25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 25-20)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPARTANS TAKE OPENER AGAINST PANDAS
LANGLEY, British Columbia – The No. 4 Trinity Western University women’s volleyball team opened the Canada West quarter finals with a hard fought 3-1 win over the No. 7 University of Alberta Pandas Thursday night at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.
The 25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 25-20 victory gives the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the best of three series.
“There is more pressure on us then on them, because they are going to nationals. So for us we have to deal with that pressure so that it allows us to play in a productive manner. We have to deal with it with a sense of urgency because we want to make it to the Final Four and we want to go to nationals,” commented TWU head coach Ryan Hofer. “This weekend is a great opportunity to prepare us for what we will see down the road. Because we are playing a team that has no pressure and they are going to play lights out all weekend. We are going to have to play our best in order for us to take them.”
Outside Kim Klassen of Abbotsford, B.C. with 16 kills and 18 digs, outside Kara Jansen Van Doorn of Langley, B.C. with nine kills and 10 digs, middle Nicole Bazin of Winnipeg with eight blocks and five kills and setter Lauren O’Reilly of Langley, B.C. with 33 set assists, 26 digs and four blocks led the Spartans, while power Jennifer Restall of Winnipeg with 11 kills and nine digs, leftside Tiffany Proudfoot of Calgary with 10 kills and eight digs and leftside Krista Zubick of St. Albert, Alta. with 10 kills, four digs and three blocks led the Pandas.
The match was an ebb and flow of emotions. The Spartans took control the match early by taking the first two sets. Then the momentum shifted dramatically to the Pandas as Alberta pulled to within one set. Midway through the fourth set it looked like the match was going to a fifth set as the Pandas had total control of the set. Then with Alberta leading 14-11 Trinity Western turned the tide of the set by going on an 11-4 run to lead 22-18. TWU continued to carry the momentum through to the end of the set, which concluded with middle Amy Leschied of East Selkirk, Man. hitting off the Alberta block to give TWU the set 25-20 and the match 3-1. The Spartans finished the set hitting 15.4 percent, while the Pandas finished the set hitting 10.3 percent.
“They played good volleyball and our energy faulted and some things weren’t going right for us,” commented Hofer on Alberta’s play in the fourth set. “But we made some good plays, got some nice kills, a couple of blocks, a tip got picked up and we had lots of energy from the bench and all of a sudden we found our flow, which allowed us to turn it around.”
The match started tight with the Pandas holding the slim one point, 8-7 lead at the first break. But the Spartans took over in the middle of the set by going on a 12-7 run to take a 19-15 lead. The Pandas jumped back into it and after a couple of miss hits by the Spartans had regained the lead 20-19. The two teams exchanged points until they were tied at 22-22. A miss hit by Alberta followed by back-to-back cross courts by TWU’s Klassen gave the Spartans the opening set 25-22. TWU hit at 23.3 percent, while Alberta hit at 16.3 percent.
The second set was tight in the early stages with the Spartans holding the one point lead, 8-7, at the first break. The Spartans took control of the second set between the breaks. TWU used an 8-2 run to take a 16-9 lead. The Spartans maintained their advantage until the set concluded with Klassen and Bazin blocking Alberta’s Proudfoot to give TWU the 25-19 win and two sets to none lead. The Spartans hit a solid 32.4 percent, while the Pandas hit at 9.1 percent.
In the third set the Pandas got things turned around. Alberta led 8-4 at the first break and were able to maintain their margin, 16-12, through to the second break. The Pandas took over the set and quickly expanded their lead to eight points, 22-14, before taking the set 25-18 after a middle attack by Alberta’s Camille Wallace of Burnaby, B.C. went off the TWU block and found the floor. The Pandas rallied to hit at 35.7 percent, while the Spartans hit at 6.9 percent.
“They did some things that put some pressure on us and we got a little frustrated, but we did a good job of dealing with it and rebounding to move forward,” Hofer commented on Alberta taking control of the third set. “One of Alberta strengths is there serving and if we are not passing the ball well we are going to be in a little bit of trouble. Just like any team would be. We have to weather some storms and wait for our opportunity to go on some runs.”
The two teams will match-up again tomorrow night at the LEC. Match two is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
“Tomorrow is going to be another battle, an offensive and defensive battle,” added Hofer.
Match Notes: O’Reilly’s 26 digs were five off of the TWU program record of 31 held by Julie Blackburn, which was set against Brandon Bobcats on Jan. 5, 2007...the Spartans finished the night hitting at 20 percent, while the Pandas finished at 16.8 percent…TWU had the edge at the net outblocking Alberta 13 to seven…
-TW-
