SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – The Trinity Western Spartans lost an evenly contested opening match 3-1 to the Saskatchewan Huskies to open the Canada West best-of-three play-in series Friday night at the Physical Activity Centre in Saskatoon, Sask. The 25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23 win gives the Huskies the 1-0 series lead.
 
Fourth-year middle Kaylee Plouffe (Sherwood Park, Alta.) with 16 kills, six digs, and three blocks, third-year outside Maryn Boldon (Okotoks, Alta.) with 13 kills, eight digs, and one service ace, and third-year outside Faye Murray (Rosenort, Man.) with 11 kills, and six digs, and an ace led the Spartans.
 
Rosetta Cyr with 15 kills, five digs, and four blocks, and Taryn Hannah with 16 kills, and nine digs led the Huskies.
 
Rookie setter Tayana Dmitruk (Surrey, B.C.) finished with 44 set assists and five digs for the Spartans. While Tielle Hagel finished with 45 set assists and 10 digs for the Huskies.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Huskies will match up again tomorrow at 3 p.m. (CT) for game two of the best-of-three Canada West play-in round in Saskatoon, Sask.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans and Huskies were even for the majority of the opening set. But late in the set with the teams tied 19-19, Saskatchewan took over. The Huskies outscored the Spartans 6-1 to take the opening set 25-20. TWU hit at .267 (13-5-3), while the Huskies hit .290 (14-5-31).
 
In the second set, the Huskies jumped out to an early four-point lead, 11-7, but the Spartans were able to use a 10-3 run to take a 17-14 lead. The Huskies were able to tie the set at 20-20 and then carry on to take a 22-20 lead. The Spartans closed to one point, 23-22, but the Huskies took the second set 25-23 to lead the match 2-0. The Spartans hit .226 (14-7-31), while the Huskies hit at .333 (14-4-30).
 
The teams were even starting the third set. With the score 9-9, TWU used a 5-1 run to take a 14-10 lead. The Spartans maintained the four-point lead to 18-14, but the Huskies responded with three straight points to make it a one-point, 18-17, lead and force TWU into a timeout. After exchanging points, TWU took two straight to lead 21-18 after a Payton Lightfoot kill and force Saskatchewan into a timeout. Out of the break, a kill by Faye Murray made it a four-point, 22-18, lead.  The teams exchanged points before a Plouffe kill and a Lightfoot ace gave the Spartans the third set 25-21. TWU hit at .290 (12-3-31), while Saskatchewan hit at .205 (15-7-39).
 
The fourth set was even to 18-18. When TWU took two straight points to lead 20-18 after a Boldon kill. After exchanging points, the Huskies got two straight to tie the set at 21-21. TWU got two straight to lead 23-21 after Lightfoot and Murray blocked Keely Anderson. But Saskatchewan got the two back and after a Cyr kill tied the set at 23-23 and put TWU into a timeout. The Huskies finished the match by taking the next two points, and after a Cyr kill had the set 25-23 and the match 3-1. TWU hit at .161 (12-7-31), while Saskatchewan hit at .206 (12-5-34).
 
NOTABLE 

• TWU finished the night hitting .236 (51-22-123), while Saskatchewan hit at .254 (55-21-134).
• The Spartans finished with seven blocks, while the Huskies finished with 11.
• Saskatchewan had a 9-8 edge in service aces.
• TWU had 50 digs to Saskatchewan's 45.
• The Spartans are currently 40-19 lifetime against the Huskies.
• The Spartans enter the CW playoffs as the ninth seed, against the eighth seed Saskatchewan Huskies.
• Last week the Spartans swept the Huskies 3-2, and 3-1 at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. to secure a post-season berth.
• TWU has won five straight against the Huskies and 24 of the last 27 matches.
• The series winner advances to the Canada West quarterfinal against the Fraser Valley Cascades in Abbotsford, B.C.

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country, and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
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