Canada West Semi Final: Alberta qualifies for gold medal match

by Paul Owen

Archive photo courtesy Uwe Welz / U of Alberta Athletics

EDMONTON - It may have been a month since the top-seeded University of Alberta Golden Bears last faced a conference opponent, but any rust that may have accumulated didn't show as the Bears took down the fourth-seeded Thompson Rivers Wolfpack 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20) in the semifinals of the Canada West Final Four Saturday at the University of Alberta Pavilion.

The Golden Bears were able to keep mistakes to a minimum after a lengthy layoff due to a bye in the last week of the regular season and another bye earned in the first round of the playoffs. They managed a crisp .322 attack percentage and only 11 service errors while flexing their defensive muscles with 14 team blocks.

"Having the long break, having to come back to play, you don't know what you're going to get, ... so I think getting that under our belt now is pretty good," said Alberta head coach Terry Danyluk.

Danyluk was quick to point out that the team's blocking is generally one of its strengths, but that his front line did a good job of adjusting to the different environs of the Pavilion instead of their usual home in the Main Gym, stifling the TRU attack, which committed 27 attack errors and finished with an attack percentage of .153. He also singled out leftside Jason DeRocco, who finished with three assisted blocks, for having a particularly strong game.

"Our right side blocking has been pretty good. (TRU) is pretty left-side heavy, which usually lets us get a few blocks. The other side of the coin is I thought Jason DeRocco did well against their right-side blockers today. He had three or four blocks, which is more than he usually gets," Danyluk explained.

For TRU, the loss does nothing to prevent them from advancing in the playoffs, as their spot in Nationals is sewn up because they are hosting. However, assistant coach Chad Grimm, who helmed the team as bench boss Pat Hennelly served a one-game suspension from Canada West, was quick to point out that a secure spot at Nationals hasn't been a reason for his team to be complacent.

"I think we've done a good job of not thinking we've had our ticket booked to Nationals," he said.

"We know we want to be playing well going into Nationals. Obviously this is a seeded tournament, so if we win (on Sunday), we'll get a better matchup in the first round," he said.

Thomas Jarmoc led the way offensively for the Bears with 19 kills, two blocks and a .484 attack percentage, while Spencer Leiske chipped in with 15 more kills and helped out on four blocks. Kevin Tillie led TRU, filling up the score sheet with 16 kills, two aces and three blocks, two of them solo.

Alberta advances to the Canada West gold-medal match Sunday at 2:00 p.m. MST in the Pavilion, where Trinity Western will stand between them and their third consecutive Canada West banner.

TRU will take on the Calgary Dinos at noon in the Pavilion for the bronze.