EDMONTON, Alberta – Fifth-year outside hitter
Maryn Boldon (Okotoks, Alta.) had 17 kills and 13 digs, but the No. 4 Trinity Western Spartans were unable to hold a two-set lead, falling 3-2 to the No. 1 Alberta Pandas Friday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre. Alberta rallied to win 16-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13 in the Canada West women's volleyball matchup.
The Spartans drop to 2-1 in Canada West play, while the defending national champion Pandas improve to 3-0. The match was Alberta's home opener, with the Pandas celebrating their 2026 U SPORTS championship on banner night.
Third-year outside hitter
Sienna Driedger (Grunthal, Man.) added 13 kills and 10 digs for TWU, while third-year outside hitter
Paisley Dickie (Surrey, B.C.) finished with 12 kills, eight digs and two aces. First-year middle
Brielle Vanderkooi (Chilliwack, B.C.) contributed 11 kills on .450 hitting, four blocks and two aces.
Third-year setter
Tayana Dmitruk (Surrey, B.C.) directed the Spartans with 45 assists and a team-high 16 digs. Fourth-year middle
Isabella Stothart (Airdrie, Alta.) added eight kills, while fourth-year libero
Sofia Rader (Lynden, Wash.) recorded 11 digs and seven assists.
Laila Johnston led Alberta with 19 kills, including eight in the fourth set. Sara Gray had 14 kills and 14 digs, Allie Moore added 12 kills and seven blocks, and Misha Hameed led all players with 19 digs. Selima Guidara finished with 31 assists and 12 digs.
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Pandas meet again Saturday, November 7 at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton. First serve is set for 5 p.m. (MST) / 4 p.m. (PT), with the match available live on Canada West TV.
QUOTABLE
Ryan Hofer, TWU Head Coach
"Tough one this evening. There were parts of this match that were really good. And parts that will need to be upgraded. We are learning lots about ourselves and learning how to put consistent pressure on our opponent all night long. Looking forward to an opportunity to rebound tomorrow."
AS IT HAPPENED
TWU took control early in the opening set, building an 11-5 lead and extending its advantage to 20-12 on a Dickie ace. The Spartans put away 16 kills without an attack error, hitting .500 (16-0-32). Boldon supplied five kills, including the set winner, as TWU took the opener 25-16. Alberta hit .296 (10-2-27).
Trailing 7-5 in the second set, the Spartans scored seven straight points to move ahead 12-7, with Stothart serving for six points during the run. TWU stretched its lead to 19-13 on an ace from second-year outside hitter
Claire Pakulak (Surrey, B.C.) and closed out the set 25-19 on an Alberta service error. The Spartans hit .107 (7-4-28), while the Pandas finished at .000 (10-10-38).
Alberta broke a 14-14 tie in the third set with four consecutive points, then used another four-point run to take the lead 22-17. TWU closed to 22-20 after two Driedger kills and a Pakulak ace, but the Pandas won three of the next four points to take the set 25-21. Alberta hit .364 (13-1-33), while TWU hit .229 (18-7-48).
The Spartans recovered from a 6-2 deficit in the fourth set to lead 14-13, but Alberta pulled away from a 16-16 tie with a 6-2 run. TWU saved two set points on kills by Boldon and Stothart before Mackenzie Pool closed it out 25-22. Both teams had 15 kills, with Alberta hitting .263 (15-5-38) and TWU .256 (15-5-39).
Vanderkooi's ace helped TWU take a 3-1 lead in the fifth set before Alberta edged ahead 8-7 at the changeover. The Spartans erased a 10-8 deficit and kept trading points, with Dickie's kill tying the score at 13-13. Pool and Moore's block gave Alberta match point, and a TWU attack error ended the match. The Spartans hit .167 (10-5-30), while the Pandas hit .261 (8-2-23).
NOTABLE
- The Spartans finished with 66 kills and hit .254 (66-21-177), while Alberta had 56 kills and hit .226 (56-20-159).
- TWU held an 8-6 advantage in service aces. Alberta led 11-4 in team blocks, while both teams recorded 74 digs. The Spartans had 15 service errors to Alberta's nine.
- TWU is now 43-57 all-time against Alberta, including 19-36 in Canada West regular-season matches.
- Boldon, Driedger and Dmitruk each recorded a double-double. Vanderkooi, Dickie and Pakulak shared the TWU lead with two aces apiece.
- Boldon entered the weekend following Canada West player of the week honours for her opening series against Manitoba, when she averaged 4.29 kills and 3.29 digs per set.
- Both teams returned from a conference bye. TWU opened its season with 3-0 and 3-1 home wins over Manitoba, while Alberta won both matches at Regina in straight sets.
- Alberta also defeated TWU in last season's Canada West final and U SPORTS semifinal. The teams' previous meeting was a 3-1 Pandas win on March 14, 2026, in Langley.
- Friday's match drew 1,509 spectators.
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 and field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes independently in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since joining U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning and holds three Canada Research Chairs. Through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education, TWU offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and adult degree-completion programs that equip leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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