The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack know now what it will take to compete for the Canadian University women's volleyball championship.  The Pack closed out their 2019-20 Canada West regular season dropping back to back matches to the number one ranked team, and defending U SPORTS champion-the Trinity Western University Spartans.
The Spartans took the WolfPack 3-1 on Saturday (Feb 15).  The scores were 23-25,25-176,25-18.

Thompson Rivers finishes the regular season in fifth place at 16-8. Trinity Western wound up on top of the league at 22-2.

Trinity was led by Savannah Purdy (2^nd year, outside hitter, Victoria, BC) with 13 kills in 40 chances.  Jayden Bontkes (3^rd year, outside hitter, Langley, BC) had 10 kills in 27 opportunities and 14 digs.  Olivia Heinen (2^nd year, setter, Langley, BC) had 23 assists with 10 digs. Dora Komlodi (3^rd year, setter, Calgary, AB)  had 11 assists while Micheaella Crema (5^th year, outside hitter, Surrey, BC) had 11 digs for the winners.

Thompson Rivers was led by their lone fifth year player: Kendra Finch (outside hitter, North Vancouver, BC).   Finch played three full sets and one point in the fourth and finished with 9 kills in 33 chances and had 13 digs.

Finch wound up the season fifth in Canada West in overall kills (284).

 Avery Pottle (4^th year, middle, Uxbridge, ON) had eight kills in 24 chances .  Katie Ludvig (3^rd year, libero, Kamloops, BC) had 12 digs.  Abby Spratt (4^th year, setter, Calgary, AB) hd 21 assists and four digs while Anastasiia Muzyka (3^rd year, setter, Poltawa, Ukraine) contributed 13 assists and six digs.
 
Trinity rested a few of their top players s including Hilary Howe (4^th year, outside hitter, Calgary, AB) and Ansah Odoom (2^nd year, outside hitter, Surrey, BC) to prepare for the post season.

The match saw the WolfPack honoring their lone graduating player: Finch.  Trinity Western's three fifth year players: Mikaelyn Sych (Airdrie, AB), Jessica Bailey (Surrey, BC) and Crema  were also recognized.
 
SYNOPSIS

The Spartans jumped out to a 2-0 lead but the Pack tied and took it over at 5-4 thanks to a block from  Pottle  .  The lead was short lived as Trinity tied it up and they exchanged points until TRU put three points together to lead 9-7-among them, a kill from Kseniya Kocyigit (1^st year middle, Byarosa, Belarus).   The Spartans rallied to tie before a kill off hands courtesy of Olga Savenchuk (2^nd year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine) gave TRU the lead.  That point began by a diving save from Finch. The Spartans took advantage of some miscues in the WolfPack serve-receive to pull ahead but on a kill from Finch, TRU entered the tech time out up 16-15.  With the Spartans threatening, Lizzy Reimer (2^nd year, middle, Edmonton, AB) came up with a big block in the middle to give TRU a 19-17 advantage. Savannah Purdy (2^nd year, outside hitter, Victoria, BC) blasted the ball which went off hands to give Trinity the lead again at 20-19.Back to back kills from Kocyigit and Morgan Rigelhof (4^th year, outside hitter, St. Albert, AB) put the Pack up 23-22 which forced Trinity coach Ryan Hofer to call his first time out of the weekend.  The Pack won the first set 25-23 as Kocyigit notched her fourth scoring point of the match on a kill. Trinity hit only .150 in the first set while the Pack hit .150.  Purdy had five kills in 15 swings. Jayda Harder (1^st year, middle, Waldheim, SK)  had four kills in five swings.

The second set saw the Pack roll out to a 4-1 lead early but the Spartans battled back and took a 6-5 lead on a kill courtesy or Jessica Bailey (5^th year, middle, Surrey, BC).  They took a 2 point lead (9-7) when Kirsten Klampmen (1^st year, outside hitter, Chilliwack, BC)  drilled the ball which went off a TRU defender and out.  The Spartans went on a 4-0 run which resulted (at 13-8) in a TRU time out to try and stop the bleeding. It wasn't helpful as with Bailey continuing to serve,  Trinity got the net point before a block by Finch cut the TRU deficit to 14-9.  A kill followed by a service error by the WolfPack fifth year resulted in Trinity Western take a 16-11 advantage into the tech time out.  With the Pack down by four (17-11), they ground out two in a row (17-14). Trinity came back with 3 in a row including a double block on Pottle to make the score 20-14. The Spartans offense returned to normality hitting 111 in the set as they won 25-17.  TRU's dipped to .026.  Purdy had three kills for Trinity in the set while Harder and Klampman added two. 

Trinity took that momentum into the third and  took a 4-1 lead.  The Pack clawed back to a two point deficit (7-5) courtesy of a double block from Finch and Rigelhof. Later it was a kill by Hayley McNaught (2^nd year, middle, Voking, AB) to make it 9-7 Spartans .   TRU diversifying its offense but Trinity seemed to have an answer.  Down 11-7, Grimm called his first time out. That resulted in a mini run which was quashed at 12-9 from a big kill off the arm of Meaghan Mealey (2^nd year, outside hitter, Calgary, AB).  Thompson Rivers battled back again to tie things at 14.   A kill by Bontkes  followed by a WolfPack attack error gave the Spartans a 16-14 lead at the time out.   The Spartans pulled out a 25-18 victory to move ahead 2-1 in the match. Efficiency was an issue for both teams in in that third stanza.  TRU was .000 (13-24) while Trinity improved to .241 (14-19).

The fourth set started with Finch getting the first point and then was ceremoniously subbed out receiving an ovation from the large crowd at the Tournament Capital Centre.   It was the first time she had been taken out this season and joined fellow outside hitter Savenchuk on the bench  (she didn't play the third set either).  The teams again exchanged points with the Pack moving up by four (9-5) which was their biggest lead of the match at that point.  Trinity called a time out which resulted in the Spartans  going on a 4-0 run to tie it at nine.  That prompted the Pack to go on a run of 3 to move up 12-9.  Like a prize fighter, it was Trinity who battled back to tie things and take their first lead of the set at 14-13.  A kill by Bontkes  gave them the lead at the tech time out 16-13.  The Pack went on a bit of a run late but succumbed to the Spartans 25-18..
 
 
HIGHLIGHTS:
https://youtu.be/3jx9904y3ZU
 
THEY SAID IT!
WolfPack head coach Chad Grimm (6^th season):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1228924761524228096 
 
WolfPack outside hitter  Kendra Finch (5^th year, North Vancouver, BC):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1228924646394695680 
 
Trinity Western head coach Ryan Hofer (15^th season):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1228924713943977984
 
NEXT UP:

 Both the Spartans and the WolfPack had secured playoff positions which begin next weekend.  Trinity will host the Winnipeg Wesmen  while the WolfPack will be on the road taking on the MacEwan Griffins in Edmonton, Alberta. Both are best of three series.  Other first round series have Mount Royal facing UBC and Saskatchewan meeting up with the Pandas in Alberta.  The playoffs are set to begin Thursday, Feb 20^th.

The matches will be shown on a pay-per view basis on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.  You can access them  by accessing: https://cw.yaretv.com/.  
Results for the WolfPack matches will be available on their social media platforms and their website  www.goWolfPack.ca.