WINNIPEG, MB-- The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have opened up the 2019 calendar year with a victory.  The Pack got strong performances from Olga Savenchuk and Kendra Finch en route to a 3-1 win over the hometown University of Manitoba Bisons.
The scores Friday (Jan 4) at the Investors Group Athletics Centre were 25-14, 15-25,29-27,30-28.
The WolfPack move to 6-7 on the season while Manitoba falls to 5-8.  Savenchuk had 25 kills and 19 digs.  Finch added 13 kills and 18 digs.
Manitoba was led by Kearley Abbot with 11 kills and 11 digs.  Kelsey Jordan had 37 assists and four service aces.
 
SYNOPSIS
  The WolfPack came right after the Bisons in the first set and rolled to an 11 point victory. Savenchuk led the way on offense and Anastasiia Muzyka (2^nd year, setter, Poltawa, Ukraine), starting for the injured Abby Spratt distributed the offense effectively.  She had 19 assists in the first two sets.  Savenchuk had nine kills.
Manitoba took the second set by 10.  The sister duo of Josie Abbott and Kearley Abbott had 10 kills for the Bisons in those first two sets.
After the first two sets, TRU out dug Manitoba 29-27 and had seven team blocks to Manitoba's four.
The third and fourth sets were marathons.  The third set saw Savenchuk score the final two TRU points en route to the victory. The Pack were down by five early in the set and battled back to a one point deficit (10-9). Savenchuk had seven kills for Thompson Rivers in that third set.
The fourth set saw the WolfPack rally from a six point deficit to tie it up. The teams swapped points for most of the remainder of the set.
 
SCORES:
TRU:                 25   15   29  30  --3
MANITOBA:    14   25   27  28  --1
 
KEY STATS:
 
 
TRU
Olga Savenchuk (1^st year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine) 25 kills in 49 swings, 19 digs, 4 block assists
Kendra Finch (4^th year outside hitter, North Van, BC)  13 kills in 39 chances, 18 digs
Anastasiia Muzyka (2nd^t year setter, Potawa, Ukraine) 46 assists, 10 digs, 5 block assists
Avery Pottle (3^rd year middle, Uxbridge, ON) 5 kills in 20 swings, 5 digs, 7 block assists

 
MANITOBA:
Kearley Abbott: 11 kills in 39 opportunities, 11 digs, 4 block assists
Jocelyn Koswin: 8 kills in 27 chances, 5 block assists
Josie Abbott: 8 kills in 34 swings, 14 digs
Cassie Bujan: 20 digs
Kelsey Jordan: 37 assists, 4 service aces
 
RECORDS:
TRU: 6-7    MANITOBA:  5-8
 
 
THEY SAID IT! (post match quotes):
TRU head coach Chad Grimm
On  match: " We blew them out in the first set, they blew us out in the second. Not very stable on either side. Both teams found their rhythym  a little bit in the next two sets and played a tight match after that.  Olga had a great match offensively and carried the load for us. Anastasiya getting her first start did a great job running the offense. She made some key blocks and had a strong game. It was nice to see her start off the year taking the lead on that. Looking for another tough match tomorrow."
UP NEXT:
Thompson Rivers  and the Bisons will square off again tomorrow night (Jan 5) at the Investors Group Athletics Centre.  Next weekend (Jan 11-12), the WolfPack will play at home for the first time in 2019 as they play host to the Mount Royal University Cougars.   Game time Friday will be 5 pm at the Tournament Capital Centre.
All of the above matches can we viewed on a pay per view basis on www.canadawesttv.com.