Scheduled Game: Manitoba@CW Final Four

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 3 4 5 T Trinity Western 26 21 18 25 11 2 Manitoba 24 25 25 23 15 3 « FINAL

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Game Recap

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (CANADA WEST FINAL FOUR)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010
NO. 4 TWU SPARTANS (2) VS. NO. 3 UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA BISONS (3)
(24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS DROP FIVE SETTER TO BISONS

WINNIPEG – It wasn’t easy, but the No. 3 University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team are now headed to the gold medal match of the Canada West Final Four tournament after picking up a thrilling 3-2 (24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11) win over the No. 4 Trinity Western University Spartans Friday night at the Investors Group Athletic Centre in Winnipeg.

The Bisons will play the No. 1 University of British Columbia in the gold medal match at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday, February 27, while the Spartans will take on the No. 5 University of Regina, who fell 3-1 to UBC, in the bronze medal match at 6 p.m. CT. The winner of the bronze medal match, along with Manitoba and UBC will advance to the CIS championship next week in Edmonton.

“We were caught having to climb back in from behind in all but one set and it is just hard to win a five setter that way,” commented TWU head coach Ryan Hofer. “We played okay and had some solid performances, but Manitoba played well too and were a little bit sharper tonight. It was just a tough loss. But our players have a lot of character and they will be ready for tomorrow’s match.”

The Bisons were led by four players scoring double-digit kills in the game. Tricia Mayba led the way with 17, Hunter had 16, Ashley Voth had 15, and Kate Wasyliw had ten of her own. On the Spartans' side of the net, Kim Klassen of Abbotsford, B.C.  matched Hunter with 16 kills, while Kara Jansen Van Doorn of Langley, B.C. chipped in with 13.

Momentum shifted back and forth for most of the first set as the two teams fought to pick up the first set of the 2010 Final Four. The Bisons held an 8-3 lead at the first technical timeout, and a 10-3 lead when the Spartans took their first timeout. But this is where the tide began to change, as the Spartans went on a 13-4 run to take a 16-14 lead into the second technical. The Bisons were able to get a 21-19 lead, but couldn’t hang on as the Spartans fought back yet again, picking up a 26-24 win in the first set.

The second set brought on another strong start from the Bisons, who led 16-6 at the second technical timeout, after Hunter smashed the ball onto the Spartans floor, ending a long rally between the two teams. But the Bisons had trouble closing the set, as the Spartans went on a 13-6 run to get within three points of the Herd. But before the Spartans could make it back, the Bisons were able to close the set out 25-21, evening the game up at one set apiece.

The third set saw the Bisons get out in front, but this was their smallest lead at the first technical timeout to that point of the game. The three-point Bisons lead quickly grew to six by the second technical, and instead of having the Spartans come back against them like in the previous two sets, the Bisons shut down the Spartans attack, which had a negative team attack percentage in the third set.

The fourth set was a close battle as the Spartans were playing to stay out of the bronze medal game. The Bisons held the lead for most of the set, but the Spartans put together a run of points to take a 19-18 lead. The Bisons were able to tie it at 23, when they took a timeout. The timeout seemed to help as the Spartans came out and picked up the next two points to take the set 25-23.

The fifth set was as close as all the other sets in the game, with the Bisons holding a narrow three-point 8-5 lead at the first technical. The Bisons lead grew to five before the Spartans started the comeback that by this point, had become all too familiar to the Bisons and their fans. The Bisons were able to hold off the charge, winning the fifth set 15-11.

-TW-
-source Manitoba Sports Information.

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