KAMLOOPS – A season full of program-firsts just continues to get better for a Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's volleyball team that defeated the Manitoba Bisons by a score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-18) inside the TCC Saturday night.
With the win, the 'Pack win the Canada West quarter-final series and not only advance to the Canada West Final Four but also secure a berth to the U SPORTS National Championship for the first time program history.
"I saw them play free tonight, I saw them enjoy the moment and I don't think the moment ever got too big for them," said WolfPack head coach
Chad Grimm on his team's play. "Obviously we started with the big lead and then it got tight at 20-20 and Manitoba are the defending national champions so you know they have experience and I thought the turning point was us hanging in there and closing out that set."
WolfPack outside hitter
Rida Erlalelitepe was exceptional all night for the hosts, finishing the match with 13 kills on just 28 swings while also tallying seven aces, a mark that ties for the most in a three-set playoff game in Canada West history. Equally as impressive was fifth-year middle
Faith Christensen who was a force at the net with eight blocks assists, which ties her for the second-most in a three-set playoff game in Canada West history.
"I think everyone played quite well tonight but Faith brought the energy," said Grimm. "Last night wasn't her best game but Faith has got us a long ways throughout her career and she was on from the beginning. I thought Rida was aggressive, she used the side edges, the line and then serving she was devastating, so I thought everyone did well but those two stuck out to me."
Once again it was Raya Surnix leading the charge for the Bisons, racking up a game-high 15 kills. Andi Almonte and Eve Catojo both added six kills apiece for a Manitoba squad that will see their season come to an end after a great 2025-26 campaign.
The WolfPack set the tone for the night early, jumping out to a quick 6-1 lead in the first set thanks a pair of aces from Erlalelitepe. TRU led by as many as eight in the frame before the Bisons came roaring back. A 6-0 Manitoba run that featured three kills from Catojo vaulted Manitoba back into the set and tied things up at 20-20. The WolfPack refused to let the set slip away however as Christensen was in on two big blocks down the stretch and Erlalelitepe put the set away with TRU winning 25-23.
TRU dominated the second set, taking a 10-1 lead and never looking back on their way to a commanding 25-13 victory. TRU scored the final eight points of the set with Christensen securing a pair of blocks, Erlalelitepe a pair of aces and
Keira Gent three kiils.
The WolfPack closed things out in the third. Surinx had six kills in the frame to keep things close but the WolfPack hit .371 per cent as a team on their way to the 25-18 victory.
With the win TRU advances to the Canada West Final Four hosted in Edmonton, AB where they will take on the host Alberta Pandas in a semifinal match at 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, March 6.
"The team has been saying all along 'why not us?' and until you do it, it's hard to say that but they got over the hurdle. I knew we had the talent and the ability to do it but it doesn't always happen like that in sport so no matter how it fell today I was hoping we could play free and enjoy it and I'm glad they did."
