Daniel Hitchens
2
Thompson Rivers TRU 4-9,4-9
3
Winner Trinity Western TWU 9-2,9-2
Thompson Rivers TRU
4-9,4-9
2
Final
3
Trinity Western TWU
9-2,9-2
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Thompson Rivers TRU 25 25 23 25 11 (2)
Trinity Western TWU 27 22 25 20 15 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | TRU WolfPack

WolfPack push No. 2 Spartans the distance in five set defeat

QUICK FIRE
  • The Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's volleyball team gave the No. 2 ranked team in the nation everything they could handle Friday night in a close 3-2 (27-25, 22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11) loss on the road to the TWU Spartans.
     
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Merritt's own Alex Howard led the way for TRU with 16 kills on the night. Fifth-year outside hitter Rylan Ibbetson added another 14 while Daniel Hitchens had 11 kills on just 17 swings. Walker Sodar compiled 45 assists in the game while also adding 12 digs.
  • Kaden Schmidt, who entered the weekend leading the conference in kills, tallied a game-high 24 for TWU.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • While the WolfPack hit at an impressive .400 per cent clip in the first set, it was the Spartans that were able to eke out the 27-25 victory. Finding themselves in a hole at 17-13, the WolfPack went on a 5-1 run that saw Hitchens and Sodaro put down a pair of blocks to knot the match up at 18-18. The teams traded points all the way to 25-25 before TWU was able to score twice in a row to take the frame.
  • The WolfPack bounced back to take the second. Another incredibly close set saw the teams tied all the way to 22-22 before a pair of TWU attack errors combined with a massive solo block from Jakob Leinemann gave TRU the set victory.
  • With TWU taking a close third set, the WolfPack rebounded to win the fourth and send the game to a fifth and final frame. The 'Pack hit .667 per cent as a team in the fourth and outblocked the Spartans 4-0. TRU dominated the latter portion of the set ending the fourth with an 8-3 run to clinch the set.
  • TRU refused to go away in the fifth. Trailing 8-4, Leinemann was in on back-to-back blocks and a Spartans service error brought TRU to within one. An ace from Drew Pike knotted the match up at 9-9 but that was as close as TRU would come as the Spartans took the frame 15-11 to win the match.

NOTABLE
  • Walker Sodaro continued his torrid 2025-26 campaign with 45 assists on the night. The third-year setter from Kelowna now has 458 assists on the season, good enough for third in the conference.
  • The WolfPack are now 4-9 on the season and remain right in the thick of the Canada West playoff race.
  • The WolfPack tallied 14 blocks to the Spartan's six.
 
UP NEXT
  • TRU will get another shot at TWU tomorrow evening in a game that gets underway at 5:00 p.m. in Langley.
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