LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western will once again play in the conference championship, after defeating Thompson Rivers 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-23) in Game 3 of the Canada West Semifinals Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.
 
After falling 3-2 in Game 1 Thursday, the Spartans won six consecutive sets and eight of nine to advance to the gold medal game next Saturday (Mar. 7). The program will look to defend last years' championship and earn a conference title for the fourth time in six seasons. 
 
The win also qualified the Spartans for the 2020 U SPORTS championships next month in Calgary. 
 
Ansah Odoom (Surrey, B.C.) picked up seven kills and two aces for TWU (22-2, 4-1), while Hilary Howe (Calgary) followed up Friday's 11-kill performance with another 13 kills and two aces, hitting .355. Emma Gamache (Langley) contributed a game high 13 digs for the Spartans.
 
Kendra Finch had eight kills, two aces and seven digs for the Wolfpack, while Olga Savenchuk chipped in with nine kills and four digs. 
 
The Spartans scored six unanswered points early in the first set to take a 7-2 lead. The Spartans would then lead the rest of the set, as a pair of Odoom kills sealed the first in favour of TWU at 25-13. Howe paced the Spartans by hitting .500 with six kills.
 
After Thompson Rivers jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the second set, the Spartans countered on a 7-0 run to make it 9-3. TWU continued building on its lead throughout the set, edging out the Wolfpack 16-15 for the remainder of the set to win it 25-18.
 
TWU took a 9-6 lead in the third set, but Thompson Rivers scored five-straight to jump back into the match. A pair of service aces from Odoom then gave the home side a late 20-18 lead, before Thompson Rivers again tied it up at 23-23. After a Wolfpack service error, TWU secured the victory off a Howe kill.
 
TWU had 6.0 total team blocks in the match, while the Wolfpack had 7.0.
 
QUOTABLE
Ryan Hofer – TWU Head Coach
 
"What went right tonight started at the base line. We knew our serving had to step up, and our team did just that. We were able to get the ball up well and started to see some big improvements once we did that. It's not just one person going off, it's a balanced offense. Our setters did great to locate the ball, and headers making smart shots to put Thompson Rivers in trouble.
 
"Give credit to the Wolfpack tonight, they really came to play. They are a top-4 team in the playoffs and showed just why. Major credit to their coaching staff in motivating a hard-working team. It was good to be tested by a great team, and we knew we had to match their level and energy.
 
On heading to the Canada West Finals and U SPORTS Championships
"We're really excited to host the conference finals for the first time on our home floor. We're so excited to be able to do that in front of our fans, in front of our school, and show them some great volleyball. Making it this far is really tough. We have worked hard to position ourselves here and we're excited to see what is to come."
 
NOTABLE

• TWU previously won Canada West Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2019. 
• The win also improved Trinity Western's all-time record against the Wolfpack to 34-3.
• The Spartans will play the winner of the other semifinals matchup between the Alberta Pandas and Mount Royal Cougars. The series is currently tied 1-1.

 
NEXT UP
The Spartans will play host to Alberta in the conference championship game Saturday (7 p.m. PT) at the Langley Events Centre. 

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.
 
-TW-