Keira Gent
Alessandro Boggio - Thymos Capture
3
Winner Alberta Pandas ALB 16-2,16-2
2
TRU WolfPack TRU 12-6,12-6
Winner
Alberta Pandas ALB
16-2,16-2
3
Final
2
TRU WolfPack TRU
12-6,12-6
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Alberta Pandas ALB 25 24 22 25 15 (3)
TRU WolfPack TRU 20 26 25 19 9 (2)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | TRU WolfPack

WolfPack push No. 1 Pandas the distance in five-set thriller

QUICK FIRE
  • In a showdown to remember between two teams at the top of nation the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's volleyball team came just shy of
     
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Three players hit double-digits in kills for the WolfPack. Rida Erlalelitepe led the way with 14 to go along with a trio of solo blocks and nine digs. Keira Gent and Hail Ward both added 12 kills with Ward firing down four aces in the match.
  • Abby Guezen paced the Pandas attack with an impressive 30 kills on the night. Allie Moore added 13 kills and eight block assists while setter Justine Kolody recorded 60 assists.
     
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • A back-and-forth first went to the visitors. TRU was led by Erlalelitepe who had four kills and Ward who added a pair of service aces. The teams were tight throughout the early portion of the set before the Pandas pulled away with the 25-20 set victory.
  • The WolfPack evened the match up in a second set that couldn't have been closer. The teams traded points throughout much of the set with the WolfPack claiming their first two-point lead at 20-18 thanks to a kill from setter Libby Meldrum. The 'Pack were able to hold onto that advantage the rest of the way as Ward's fourth service ace of the net ended the frame with the WolfPack taking it 26-24.
  • The third set followed much the same script, with the WolfPack pulling out a close victory. Ward led the TRU attack with four kills in the set. A 5-0 WolfPack run that saw Christensen put down both a solo and assisted block gave TRU their first real lead of the set at 15-13. The Pandas kept it to within two the rest of the way but a resilient WolfPack side refused to let Alberta back into the set with a Ward kill ending the frame in a 25-22 WolfPack win.
  • While TRU led 8-1 early in the fourth, a big Pandas' comeback gave them the set win at 25-19 and set the game to a fifth and final set.
  • The Pandas pulled away for victory in the fifth. TRU battled back after Alberta jumped out to a quick 7-3 edge with Gent, Erlalelitepe and Maria Dancheva scoring three of the game's next four points to make it 8-6. That was as close as TRU would come however as Alberta held on for the 15-9 set victory.
     
QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Chad Grimm)
  • Obviously we were better tonight compared to last night but I think both teams were hanging on a little bit, both teams looked a little tired and that happens at this point of the season.
  • For the most part we hung in there, we gave ourselves a chance and then obviously it's disappointing to go up 7-1 in the fourth but they turned up the volume a little bit and we kind of went down a little bit so I think that's a learning point for us. They have a little bit of a get out of jail free card when they throw it up to Abby Guezen and she had a great night tonight which takes some pressure off of the rest of their team.
  • I think we need to learn how to push ourselves in those moments to close the deal.
  • ON THE APPROACH DURING THE BYE WEEK "I think rest is always important at this point of the year. We want to make sure our bodies are feeling as good as they can and take care of school and then we will go on the road and see where the chips fall heading into the playoffs.

NOTABLE
  • With the result TRU is now 12-6 on the season where they are in a tie for fourth in the conference.
  • The WolfPack entered the weekend ranked a program-record fourth in the nation, while Alberta was ranked first.
  • WolfPack setter Libby Meldrum crossed 660 assists on the season with 36 on the night. The fourth-year setter from West Vancouver leads the entire country in assists this season and has 1802 in her WolfPack career.
 

UP NEXT
  • A bye week is ahead for the WolfPack before they finish the 2025-26 Canada West regular season with a pair of games on the road against the Calgary Dinos (Feb. 13-14).
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