The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's volleyball team will face a familiar opponent for the second week in a row as the Canada West playoffs continue.
After sweeping the MacEwan Griffins last week in Edmonton, Alberta: the WolfPack have advanced to the semi-finals where they will face the top ranked team in the nationand the first place team in the Canada West this season in the Trinity Western University Spartans.
The best of three series opens up at the Langley Events Centre tonight. Match time will be 6 PM PDT tonight, 7 PM PDT on Friday (Feb28) and if a third and deciding match is needed, it will be played at 6 PM PDT on Saturday (Feb 29).
The WolfPack have moved back into the top ten U SPORTS rankings following their win over MacEwan last weekend. They are now at their highest level of the year sitting in seventh spot.
The winner of the series will get an automatic berth to the USPORTS Nationals along with playing the winner of the other semi final between the Alberta Pandas and Mount Royal Cougars in a one match 'winner take all' Canada West championship match next week. The loser of this series will play the loser of the Alberta/Mount Royal series in a one match 'winner take all' bronze medal match next week with the third Canada West berth at nationals up for grabs. The 2020 U SPORTS Women's Volleyball Nationals are being played next month in Calgary, Alberta hosted by the University of Calgary Dinos.
All of the above 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 will be available on the WolfPack social media platforms and their website
www.goWolfPack.ca.
Last Week:
Trinity: took Winnipeg in two straight. Thursday (Feb 20) : won 3-2. Scores were 25-16,25-12,23-25,25-17. Hilary Howe had 17 kills, 14 digs and 3 service aces. Anasah Odoom had nine kills and five blocks. Dora Komlodi with 33 assists, four service aces and ten digs while Emma Gamache had 23 digs and four assists. Game two on Friday night (Feb 21), The Spartans won in straight sets (25-19,25-22,25-16). Howe had 15 kills, seven digs and two service aces Mikaelyn Sych had six kills and four blocks, Komlodi earned 23 assists and eight digs while Gamache had 12 digs.
TRU: took MacEwan in two straight. Thursday (Feb 20): won 3-1. Scores were 18-25,25-20,25-23,25-19.
Kendra Finch had 14 kills, 14 digs and 1 service ace , Ksyenia Kocyigit with 11 kills and eight blocks.
Olga Savenchuk had six kills, six blocks 25 digs and 1 service ace.
Anastasiia Muzyka had 25 assists and 14 digs . Game two on Friday night (Feb 21), the teams went five sets with TRU prevailing (25-13,25-21,22-25,18-25,15-8). Finch with 12 kills, 18 digs and a service ace. Savenchuk had 11 kills, 17 digs, two service aces, four blocks and four assists. Kocyigit had 10 kills and seven blocks.
History between these two:
The teams met in the two weeks ago to finish the Canada West regular season at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops (Feb 14-15). The Spartans won both matches. On Friday (Feb 14), Trinity won in straight sets (25-16,25-16,25-19).
Trinity Western was led by Hilary Howe (4
th year, outside hitter, Calgary, AB) and Savannah Purdy (2
nd year, outside hitter, Victoria, BC) . Both had 11 kills. Howe had 11 kills in 23 chances while Purdy had 26 opportunities. Dora Komlodi (3
rd year, setter, Calgary, AB) had 27 assists and five digs.
For The WolfPack, they were led by
Kendra Finch (5
th year, outside hitter, North Vancouver, BC) with eight kills in 25 swings with six digs.
Olga Savenchuk (2
nd year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine) had seven kills in 19 chances.
On the Saturday (Feb 15), Trinity prevailed in four (23-25,25-17,25-18). Trinity was led by Purdy 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. Komlodi had 11 assists while Michealla Crema (5
th year, outside hitter, Surrey, BC) had 11 digs for the winners.
Thompson Rivers was led by their lone fifth year player: Finch . She played three full sets and one point in the fourth and finished with 9 kills in 33 chances and had 13 digs.
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.
Last year in Langley (Jan 18-19, 2019). The Spartans won both ends of the weekend series taking the first match on the Friday 3-1 (25-11,22-25,25-14,25,17). Finch had 13 kills in 34 chances for TRU while Savenchuk had 10 kills in 32 swings and Muzyka had 28 assists. Howe had 22 kills in 45 chances for Trinity.
On the Saturday, the scores were 25-20,25-23,25-18 for Trinity. Finch and Savenchuk had eight kills each for the Pack. Muzyka had 24 assists. Howe garnered 10 kills for the Spartans
.
Players to Watch
Trinity Western:
Hilary Howe: the Canada West first team all-star was second in the league in the regular season in kills per set (3.95) and in overall kills (300) along with being third in service aces per set (0.57). She is 10 th all time in Canada West points per set (3.975), 16 all time in kills per set (3.2333), 21 st all time in career points (1176.5)d, 24
th all time in service aces (110) and 30 th all time in kills (657).
Avery Heppell (3
rd year middle/right side, Langley, BC): the second team Canada West all-star was second in the regular season in hitting percent (.348). She is 10 th all time in Canada west in blocks per set (1.146), 10 th all time in service aces per set (0.423), 21 st all time in blocks (274) and 28 th in career service aces (101).
Mikaelyn Sych (5
th year, middle, Airdrie, AB): led Canada West in blocks per set (1.30) and the team in total blocks (88). She is fifth in Canada West career blocks per set (1.314).
Dora Komlodi (3
rd year, setter, Calgary, AB): was fourth in the regular season in Canada West in service aces per set (0.58). She tied for 14
th all-time in Canada West service aces in a season (44).
Thompson Rivers:
Kendra Finch: named to the Canada West first all-star team. She finished fifth in Canada West this regular season in kills (284). She is fourth in Canada West all time digs (1271) and 31
st all time in service aces (97).
Ksenya Kocyigit : named to the Canada West second all-star team. She was fourth in Canada West in hitting per cent in the regular season (.318)
Olga Savenchuk: 12
th all time in Canada West career points per set (3.795) and 17
th in kills per set (3.227)
Abby Spratt: (4
th year, setter, Calgary, AB): is 22
nd in Canada West history in assists (1641), 22
nd in service aces pers set (0.388) and 29
th in career service aces (100) .
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK HEAD COACH CHAD GRIMM
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1232831764659236865
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK LIBERO HALI DREZET (4TH YEAR, PRINCE GEORGE, BC):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1232832313437745153
