Rida Erlalelitepe
3
Winner Thompson Rivers TRU 1-0,1-0
1
Manitoba MAN 1-2,1-2
Winner
Thompson Rivers TRU
1-0,1-0
3
Final
1
Manitoba MAN
1-2,1-2
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Thompson Rivers TRU 26 23 25 29 (3)
Manitoba MAN 24 25 18 27 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | TRU WolfPack

Erlalelitepe’s record-setting performance helps ‘Pack topple reigning CW champions

QUICK FIRE
  • Rida Erlalelitepe had a debut performance to remember for the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's volleyball team, as the first-year outside hitter tied a Canada West record en route to helping the 'Pack defeat the Manitoba Bisons by a score of 3-1 (26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 29-27) in Winnipeg, MB.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Erlalelitepe's 31 kills in the game ties the Canada West record for most kills in a four-set match in the conference's history. Brooklyn Olfert added 18 more and a trio of aces in her return to her hometown of Winnipeg. Hadley Schmidt racked up 49 assists while middle Faith Christensen had three solo and three assisted blocks.
  • Reigning U SPORTS Player of the Year Raya Surinx led the Bisons with 21 kills while Light Uchechukwu and Andi Almonte both added 11. Katreena Bentley had 48 assists in the contest.
     
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Nine kills from Erlalelitepe in the first set, set the tone for the evening as the WolfPack pulled out a close 26-24 victory thanks to back-to-back service aces from Addison Witkowski.
  • It was Olfert's turn to fire in back-to-back aces late in the second set as TRU clawed back into the frame trailing just 20-19. The 'Pack fought off three set points after Manitoba took a 24-20 lead but couldn't hold off the Bisons forever as the hosts took the second frame.
  • The WolfPack dominated the third frame, hitting .344 per cent as a team while holding Manitoba to a mark of .139 per cent. A four-point WolfPack run highlighted by points from Christensen, Olfert and Schmidt gave TRU a commanding 11-4 lead that they wouldn't surrender. Fittingly, Erlalelitepe ended the frame with an ace of her own.
  • The fourth and final set was a thriller. Again the WolfPack fought off three set points from the Bisons as Olfert and Erlalelitepe combined for 16 kills in the frame. Schmidt ended the night with a solo block to give the 'Pack the 29-27 set victory.
     
NOTABLE
  • Erlalelitepe's mark is the third time that a player has recorded 31 kills in a four-set match in conference history. The other two times were both accomplished by former WolfPack standout Iuliia Pakhomenko.
  • Schmidt's 49 assists are a career-high for the fourth-year setter.
  • Manitoba are the reigning Canada West champions and finished third in the country last season.

QUOTABLE – Head coach Chad Grimm
  •  I thought for the most part we played pretty solid offensively, we were pretty efficient. Obviously Rida putting up 31 kills helps a lot, but I thought all of our wing hitters were efficient. Faith Christensen had a good night attacking as well and that's not easy to do against Manitoba, they defend really well – are scrappy and don't go away.
  • We did a pretty good job of holding our nerve down the stretch, some of those long rallies can be frustrating.
  • Overall I'm happy with the way we played. Serve and receive is a huge part of the game and I thought that's where we had an advantage tonight.
  • Now we have to turn the page, come out tomorrow and see if we can start stringing some performances together.
     
UP NEXT
  • TRU will face Manitoba in a rematch scheduled for 3:45 p.m. PT tomorrow in Winnipeg.
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