Matthew Hamilton
Andrew Snucins
3
Winner TWU Spartans TWU 6-3,6-3
1
TRU WolfPack TRU 2-5,2-5
Winner
TWU Spartans TWU
6-3,6-3
3
Final
1
TRU WolfPack TRU
2-5,2-5
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
TWU Spartans TWU 15 27 25 25 (3)
TRU WolfPack TRU 25 25 19 14 (1)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | TRU WolfPack

‘Pack come out firing, go toe-to-toe with No. 6 Spartans

QUICK FIRE
  • They were dominant early but the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's volleyball team was unable to put away the TWU Spartans in a 3-1 (15-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-14) loss inside the TCC Saturday.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • It was a balanced offensive attack for the 'Pack. Dylan Annala led the way with 12 kills. Mason Sodaro added nine kills along with a pair of blocks and an ace while Matthew Hamilton (eight kills) and Sam Flowerday (seven) rounded out the top scorers. Walker Sodaro racked up 37 assists for TRU.
  • John Obi and Piers De Greef both tallied 14 kills for the Spartans. Jackson Corneil led the way defensively for TWU with four block assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The WolfPack were nearly perfect in the first set. The hosts hit .667 per cent as a team while also putting up five blocks and a pair of service aces. Annala was a perfect 4-4 while Mason Sodaro racked up three kills and a pair of block assists. Flowerday put the set away with a kill to give TRU the dominant 10-point set victory. A main difference in the set was a 6-0 WolfPack run that featured Mason Sodaro earning four points.
  • TWU managed to scrape out a tight second set. The Spartans offence came to life powered by three kills apiece courtesy of Schmidt, Obi and Corneil. Annala fired back with five of his own while both Flowerday and Matthew Hamilton added three to give the 'Pack more than their fair share of chances to take the set. With TWU leading 18-16, the 'Pack embarked upon a 5-0 run that was sparked by a pair of Flowerday aces to lead 21-18. A kill from Matthew Hamilton gave the 'Pack a pair of set points at 24-22 but the Spartans responded through a Schmidt kill and Corneil block to tie the set. The teams traded points until the Spartans were able to take the frame 27-25.
  • TWU pulled away in the third and dominated the fourth to take the match. It was neck-and-neck all the way to 18-18 in the third before three-straight Spartan kills gave the visitors their first substantial lead. From there TWU fired in another 4-0 run to take the set 25-19. The Spartans carried that momentum into the fourth and final set as they hit .571 per cent en route to the set and match victory.
NOTABLE
  • A brotherly connection was firing for the 'Pack, with Walker Sodaro setting older brother Mason Sodaro for nine kills.
  • Flowerday's seven kills move him to 961 on his CW career. He is just 39 kills away from becoming the second player in program history and 29th in conference history to break the 1,000 kill mark.

QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach, Pat Hennelly)
  • That's our best start in a long time. I thought Walker Sodaro kept with the program in terms of running the offence. Dylan Annala had a big night – we are approaching things a little differently now and I think that helped Walker and it definitely helped Dylan get it going.
  • Mason Sodaro with only limited time playing in the middle really had a night tonight.
  • I'm proud of the effort from all the guys, Brandon Johnson and Drew Pike are two rookies who split the libero position and really showed up.
  • The tale of the season is that we haven't had many times where everyone is on the same page, we were close tonight and a couple breaks in the second and third and we are playing volleyball in the fifth. I was happy with the effort, it's hard after the last couple matches to pick ourselves up but we know the end of the semester is coming and we have to keep pushing.
UP NEXT
  • The 'Pack head on the road next weekend to Saskatoon, where they will take on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in a double header on November 29-30.
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