 |  |
BRONZE MEDAL: Bisons bounce back to claim bronze
| Manitoba | Queen's |
|---|---|
|
K:
Dane Pischke - 22
B: 2 Players (#6, #12 - 4) D: Derek Nieroda - 12 SA: 4 Players (#5, #6, #7, #8 - 1) |
K:
Joren Zeeman - 22
B: 2 Players (#3, #13 - 3) D: Jacob Glantz - 15 SA: Joren Zeeman - 2 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Manitoba | Queen's |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .398 | .296 |
| Blocks | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Digs | 51 | 52 |
| Aces | 4 | 2 |
Courtesy of Queen’s University sports information
KINGSTON, Ont. (CIS) – Following a disappointing 3-1 semifinal loss to third-seeded Laval on Saturday, the No. 2 Manitoba Bisons bounced back with a 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 25-18 win over the tournament host Queen’s Gaels to claim the bronze medal a the CIS men’s volleyball championship at Queen’s University’s ARC, Sunday afternoon.
Led by first-team all-Canadian Dane Pischke of Winnipeg, who earned player-of-the-game honours for the Bisons as the Canada West finalists took down the OUA champion to finish third in the tournament.
Pischke led Manitoba with 22 kills on 49 attacks for a hitting percentage of .408 in addition to contributing a service ace, eight digs and two blocks.
The Bisons were making their first appearance at the national championship since back-to-back third-place finishes in 2005 and 2006.
Despite the loss, the fifth-seeded Gaels earned the best placing in program history at the CIS tournament. Gaels player of the game Joren Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont., was a force on the attack as he recorded 22 kills on 35 attacks in addition to two service aces, 11 digs and three blocks.
“Very happy to win our last match of the year, we obviously hoped it would be a little bit different but to come back with that intensity, that desire and determination is really a pleasure to see,” said Manitoba head coach Garth Pischke who wraps up his 31st season with Manitoba by winning a medal. “We expected Joren (Zeeman) to play as well as he did but in the end I thought we played really well.”
Gaels head coach Brenda Willis gave credit to Manitoba’s serving as their catalyst for the win.
“In the fourth we just didn't pass well enough and I credit Manitoba they served lights out in that fourth set. We were out of system most of that set and there were a few little things I thought we could have done better but the main thing was they served better than we passed, but I'm really proud of this group.”
The teams matched each other point for point to open the first set as they traded the first 20 points of the game and played their way to a 10-10 tie. The Bisons went on a run after that as they picked up four consecutive points to move out to a 14-10 lead, prompting the Gaels to call timeout. The Gaels outpointed the Bisons 3-2, to cut into the Manitoba lead before the technical timeout with the Bisons up 16-13.
Manitoba stayed consistent after the technical timeout as they held off the Gaels who got within two points seven times before the end of the set but couldn’t reel in the Bisons any further, as Manitoba came away with a 25-22 set win.
The second set was as closely contested as the first as the Gaels rallied to bring Manitoba close after the Bisons jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. With the game tied at 14, the Gaels took two of the next three points to earn their first lead of the set and take the lead into the technical timeout at 16-15.
The Bisons stuck around and kept Queen’s within two points until they regained the lead at 20-19. The Gaels attempted to play catch up and stayed within one point for the remainder of the set, but a Manitoba point sealed their set win at 25-23 and gave them a 2-0 lead in the game.
The third set was another nailbiter as the teams matched each other point for point once again. With each attack finding holes in the opposition’s defence, the Gaels and Bisons were tied at 10 different points before the technical timeout alone. Manitoba gained a slight edge before the timeout and went in up 16-14.
The Gaels rallied with Zeeman behind the service line as he sparked a six point run for Queen’s to give the Gaels a 20-17 lead, forcing Manitoba to burn their second timeout of the set. The break didn’t do anything to slow the Gaels momentum as they took five of the final seven points of the set to get their first win of the match, bringing the game to 2-1.
The fourth set was another hard fought frame between the two teams as they found themselves tied six times before the technical timeout before Manitoba gained a slight edge prior to the break. The Bisons went into the technical timeout with a narrow 16-13 lead.
Manitoba was the stronger team out of the stoppage as they recorded four of the first five points when the teams returned to the court, prompting Queen’s head coach Brenda Willis to call a timeout in an effort the quell the Bisons momentum. The Gaels went point for point with the Bisons after the break but the previous margin was too much to make up as Manitoba took the fourth, deciding set by a 25-18 margin to win 3-1 and earn the bronze medal.
STAT LEADERS
Manitoba
Kills: Dane Pischke (22), Joseph Brooks (11)
Points: Dane Pischke (24), Joseph Brooks (14)
Blocks: Chris Voth (4), Joseph Brooks (4)
Digs: Derek Nieroda (12), Chris Komishon (11)
Service aces: Four tied with 1
Assists: Chris Komishon (46)
Player of the match: Dane Pischke
Queen’s
Kills: Joren Zeeman (22), Niko Rukavina (12), Michael Amoroso
(10)
Points: Joren Zeeman (25.5), Niko Rukavina (13.5)
Blocks: Michael Amoroso (3), Joren Zeeman (3)
Digs: Jacob Glantz (15), Jackson Dakin (12)
Service aces: Joren Zeeman (2)
Assists: Jackson Dakin (44)
Player of the match: Joren Zeeman
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS
NOTE: Live webcast of all games on SSN Canada – in partnership with QTV.
Friday, March 2
13:00 Quarter-final #1: Laval 3, Calgary 1 (23-25, 25-19,
25-22, 25-15)
15:00 Quarter-final #2: Manitoba 3, Western 2 (25-22, 25-27, 25-17,
22-25, 19-17)
18:00 Quarter-final #3: Queen’s 3, Alberta 1 (25-23, 25-18,
25-27, 25-23)
20:00 Quarter-final #4: Trinity Western 3, Dalhousie 0 (25-14,
25-22, 25-17)
Saturday, March 3
13:00 Consolation #1: Calgary 3, Western 0 (25-14, 25-21,
25-6)
15:00 Consolation #2: Alberta 3, Dalhousie 0 (25-14, 25-14,
25-13)
18:00 Semifinal #1: Laval 3, Manitoba 1 (15-25, 30-28, 25-22,
25-17)
20:00 Semifinal #2: Trinity Western 3, Queen’s 1 (25-20,
25-13, 25-14)
Sunday, March 4
11:00 5th place: Calgary 3, Alberta 1 (21-25, 25-15,
25-16, 25-20)
13:00 Bronze medal: Manitoba 3, Queen’s 1 (25-22, 25-23,
19-25, 25-18)
16:00 Championship final: Laval vs. Trinity Western
-CIS-
