EDMONTON, Alta. – Fifth-year outside hitter
Maryn Boldon (Okotoks, Alta.) had 16 kills and 10 digs, but the No. 4 Trinity Western Spartans fell 3-1 to the No. 1 Alberta Pandas Saturday at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton, Alta. Alberta won 26-24, 28-26, 21-25, 25-18 to complete the weekend sweep and improve to 4-0 in Canada West play. The Spartans fall to 2-2 after dropping Friday's series opener in five sets.
Third-year setter
Tayana Dmitruk (Surrey, B.C.) collected 38 assists and 20 digs for TWU, while first-year outside hitter
Brooke Fermaniuk (Calgary, Alta.) added eight kills, eight digs and three blocks. Third-year outside hitter
Paisley Dickie (Surrey, B.C.) contributed six kills and four service aces, and third-year middle
Emma Graca (Surrey, B.C.) finished with six kills, four blocks and two aces.
Mackenzie Pool led Alberta with 19 kills and 15 digs, hitting .400, while Sara Gray added 15 kills and 11 digs. Sophia Magus finished with 38 assists, eight digs and four blocks.
The Spartans fought back from an eight-point deficit in the opening set and held two set points in the second, but Alberta won both extended sets. TWU responded by taking the third before the Pandas closed out the match in the fourth.
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home to host the Winnipeg Wesmen Friday, November 13, at noon (PT) and Saturday, November 14, at 3 p.m. (PT) at the FIELDHOUSE at the Langley Events Centre. Both matches will be available on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
Alberta opened the first set with five consecutive points and built a 10-2 lead. The Spartans worked their way back, with consecutive Graca aces helping narrow the gap before a Dickie ace tied the score at 19-19. Boldon kept TWU alive with a kill to tie the set at 24-24, but Alberta took the next two points, finishing with a Gray solo block to win 26-24.
TWU led 10-7 and 21-19 in the second set before Alberta moved ahead 22-21. A Fermaniuk ace gave the Spartans a set point at 24-23, and a block by second-year middle
London Krahn (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Boldon created another at 25-24. The Pandas survived both opportunities and, after the teams reached 26-26, won the final two points to take the set 28-26.
Trailing 15-11 in the third, TWU scored five straight points to take the lead 16-15. Third-year outside hitter
Sydney Seida (St. Albert, Alta.) served two aces during the run. The Spartans extended their lead to 20-17 and then 24-19 before winning 25-21 to force a fourth set. TWU held Alberta to .074 hitting in the frame.
The Pandas jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth. TWU cut the deficit to 12-11, but Alberta pulled away to lead 19-13 and then 23-14. The Spartans continued to battle before Pool's match-ending kill sealed the 25-18 result.
NOTABLE
- TWU is now 43-58 all-time against Alberta and 19-37 in Canada West regular-season meetings.
- The Spartans finished with 53 kills, 31 attacking errors and 166 attempts for a .133 hitting percentage. Alberta had 55 kills and 23 errors on 159 attempts to hit .201.
- TWU held an 11-3 advantage in service aces, led by Dickie's four. The Spartans committed 11 service errors, compared with six for Alberta.
- Alberta finished with 14 blocks and 72 digs, while TWU recorded 11 blocks and 70 digs. Krahn led the Spartans with five blocks in two sets.
- Boldon and Dmitruk each recorded a double-double. Fourth-year libero Sofia Rader (Lynden, Wash.) added 12 digs and four assists.
- First-year middle Brielle Vanderkooi (Chilliwack, B.C.) had five kills on nine attempts with one error, hitting .444 in two sets. She also contributed an ace and a block.
- The match featured 32 ties and eight lead changes, including 16 ties in the second set.
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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