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QUARTER-FINAL #3: CIS championship: No. 3 Bisons roll over Blues
Courtesy of University of Alberta sports information
EDMONTON (CIS) – The No. 3-seeded Manitoba Bisons shook off
the opening match nerves just in time to defeat the No. 6 Toronto
Varsity Blues in straight sets, 25-21, 25-20 and 25-19, in the
third quarter-final of the 2010 CIS women’s volleyball
championship at the University of Alberta, Friday evening.
Championship website (live webcasts): http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wvball
Highlights
CIS WVBall - Match 3 Post Game
With the win, Manitoba joins No. 1 UBC and No. 5 Laval in
Saturday’s semifinals, marking the ninth straight season that
at least two Canada West teams advance to the Final Four at the CIS
tournament. It has also been nine years since an OUA squad won a
first-round match-up at the Nationals, dating back to a five set
win by Toronto over Calgary in 2001.
Tricia Mayba, a third-year middle from Winnipeg, led the Bison
attack with 12 kills, while first-team all-Canadian Ashley Voth, a
member of Canada’s national team and also from the Manitoba
capital, chipped in with nine kills. Middle Amy Penner and setter
Sam Loewen, originally from East St. Paul, Man., added two aces
apiece, as the Bisons spun five in total on Toronto, who struggled
on receptions.
First-team all-Canadian Heather Bansley, the OUA player of the
year, paced the Varsity Blues with a match-high 13 kills, while
also adding 10 digs. The Waterdown, Ont., Native led CIS this
season in kills per set and aces, and was a force all-night.
Manitoba used a .480 attack percentage in the final frame to close
out Toronto.
“Emotionally, I thought we were pretty jumpy in that game,
and a big part of this tournament, is overcoming that and finding a
way to find games despite it not being your best day,” stated
Ken Bentley, Manitoba’s 24-year head coach and a two-time CIS
coach of the year.
“We passed the ball real well in that third set, and I think
we have two of the best middle players in the country, especially
Tricia,” Bentley continued. “If we can get the ball to
the net, with her and 6’3” Sam Loewen, we stand a good
chance at getting the point.”
In their first head-to-head meeting on the national stage since
1999, Manitoba had a few hiccups against a stubborn Varsity Blues
team. Toronto and Manitoba were making their return to the CIS
championship after five- and two-year absences, respectively.
Manitoba now holds a 5-0 record over Toronto at the national
championship, including four straight-set wins and a 3-1
victory.
The first set featured six lead changes as both teams struggled to
hold on to momentum. The Blues opened up with a 4-1 lead, but, soon
enough the Bisons had earned a 6-5 advantage, only to have Toronto
back in front at the first technical timeout 8-7.
Manitoba jumped ahead for good at 20-19, winning the first set
25-21.
The Varsity Blues started with a 2-0 lead in the second, but it
quickly evaporated, never to come back, as Manitoba managed to get
back in front, and stay there, but only just, with leads of 5-4 and
11-10.
Toronto struggled mightily at the service line in the second set,
committing six service errors, spotting the Bisons to an 18-14
lead, their largest of the second stanza at that point. The Blues
got back to within three points at 23-20, but couldn’t
overcome Manitoba’s defense, eventually losing 25-20 to fall
behind two sets to none.
“We were doing some good things, but we missed a lot of
serves, which was frustrating, and we just sort of lost our focus
at key points,” said 21-year Toronto head coach Kristine
Drakich. “It’s difficult, because we did a lot of good
things; we played some good defense, but had some trouble with
their right-side attack, and give Manitoba credit, they played
well.”
In the third, the Bisons continued to hold lead, and flirt with
blowing out the Blues, but Toronto just kept coming back.
After fighting back to earn a 10-10 tie, the Blues scored four
straight, only to see Manitoba roll off a 4-0 run of their own, and
re-take the lead. From there, the Bisons see-sawed their way to a
win; picking up small runs the rest of the way, and closing it out
at 25-19, and advancing themselves to Saturday’s semi-final
against either No.2 Montreal or No.7, and host, Alberta.
“I think now that we’ve got this game out of the way,
we’ll be better in the semi-final,” said Bentley.
“We’ve got some kids that have won championships
before, so we’re not unaccustomed to that environment, and I
think that we’ll be prepared for any team that comes our way
tomorrow.”
CHAMPIONSHIP
SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times LOCAL: Mountain Time)
Friday, March 5
Quarter-final #1: No. 1 UBC 3, No. 8 Saint Mary’s 0 (25-17,
25-17, 25-13)
Quarter-final #2: No. 5 Laval 3, No. 4 Regina 0 (25-21, 25-21,
25-19)
Quarter-final #3: No. 3 Manitoba 3, No. 6 Toronto 0 (25-21, 25-20,
25-19)
20:00 Quarter-final #4: No. 2 Montreal vs. No. 7 Alberta (SSN
Canada webcast)
Saturday, March 6
13:00 Consolation #1: No. 8 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 4 Regina
14:30 Consolation #2: No. 6 Toronto vs. Loser quarter-final #4
18:30 Semi-final #1: No. 1 UBC vs. No. 5 Laval (SSN Canada
webcast)
20:00 Semi-final #2: No. 3 Manitoba vs. Winner quarter-final #4
(SSN Canada webcast)
Sunday, March 7
12:00 5th place
15:00 Bronze medal (SSN Canada webcast)
18:00 Championship final (SSN Canada webcast)
-CIS-
