TORONTO – The Trinity Western men's volleyball team put together a dominant performance against AVCA No. 2-ranked UCLA, beating the Bruins 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-15) to give the Spartans their second straight win at the Can Am Volleyball Holiday Showcase Sunday at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

Coming off a five-set win over two-time defending NCAA champion Long Beach State, the Spartans started strong against the Bruins, winning the first set by five points and rolled from there. 

With Eric Loeppky (Steinbach, Man.) putting on a show from the baseline and, amongst others, Jackson Howe (Calgary) bringing people out of their seats from the middle, the Spartans were full value for a victory that marks the second time in as many nights that TWU beat a team ranked in the AVCA preseason rankings, with the Beach ranked No. 4.

The Spartans will now prepare for their final game of the tournament against No. 6-ranked Lewis University Tuesday at 2 p.m. (ET). 

WATCH: www.sportscanada.tv. (Use the code cahvs25 for a 25% discount).

The tournament is set up in a Canada vs. USA format. Through the first two days of competition, Canada has a 4-2 edge in wins.

QUOTABLE
Ben Ball – TWU Assistant Coach
"I honestly think our guys did an amazing job of increasing execution in all areas. They were super intentional in paying attention to the details pre-serve and they were front-loading their comments to prepare for each point. I think that narrowed their focus very well and kept them engaged in the game in a very positive way.

"It was really exciting to play UCLA. That's an amazing program and it has been for a long program. It was sweet to have the opportunity to play a team like that. Before the games, our guys were really excited to test themselves and see what they could do.

"After last night's game and feeling like it was a bit sloppy, for us to respond like this is a huge confidence boost for us and a reminder that, yes, we are good at volleyball and let's just enjoy it."

NOTABLE
•    TWU is now 4-2 all-time against UCLA. 
•    The Spartans are now 21-20 all-time against NCAA opponents.
•    TWU head coach Ben Josephson is not at the tournament as he is currently with Canada's senior women's team as an assistant coach as the team prepares for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament.  
•    The Can Am Volleyball Holiday Showcase features four Canadian sides, with the University of Alberta, McMaster University and Ryerson University joining TWU against four high-profile NCAA teams, including Long Beach State, UCLA, Lewis and Ohio State.
•    The last time TWU took on an American foe was in 2009-10, when the Spartans played both UCLA and the University of the Pacific at Calgary's Dino Cup. TWU finished that year's tournament with a 3-0 record against its NCAA opponents, beating UCLA once (3-0) and Pacific twice (3-2 and 3-0).
•    The Spartans have previously played all three teams it will face in the Can Am Showcase, with TWU owning a 2-2 record all-time against Long Beach State and a 1-2 record against Lewis.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES EST)
Sat. Dec. 28
2 p.m. – Lewis (3) Ryerson (0)
4:30 p.m. – Alberta (3) Ohio State (2) 
7 p.m. – Trinity Western (3) Long Beach State (2)

Sun. Dec. 29
2 p.m. – Ryerson (3) UCLA (1) 
4:30 p.m. – Ohio State (3) McMaster (1)
7 p.m. – Trinity Western (3) UCLA (0)

Mon. Dec. 30
2 p.m. – Ohio State vs. Ryerson Rams
4:30 p.m. – Lewis vs. McMaster Marauders
7 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Alberta Golden Bears

Tues., Dec. 31
11:30 a.m. – Long Beach State vs. McMaster Marauders
2 p.m. – Lewis vs. Trinity Western Spartans
4:30 p.m. – UCLA vs. Alberta Golden Bears

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.

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