Exhibition: Day 3: Host Trinity Western win Spartans Classic

FINAL: TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS (3) CALGARY DINOS (0) (25-22, 25-14, 27-25)
Trinity Western won the warm-up tournament. Now it's time to prepare for the real thing. In a dry-run for hosting the CIS nationals in March, TWU won the Spartans Holiday Classic in impressive fashion, with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 27-25) win in the final over Calgary Wednesday night.

The Spartans were the better side in every major statistical category as they proved to be the superior team on this night. Trinity Western outhit Calgary (23.8 per cent to 5.2 per cent), out-killed Calgary (45-28), out-blocked Calgary (10-2.5) and out-dug Calgary (42-36).

Setter Ben Ball led the team with an impressive 43 assists, which is only four assists off the Spartans record for most assists in a three-set game, which is held by Josh Howatson who had 47 assists against Calgary Jan. 21, 2006. Doornenbal had a game-high 13 kills, while Mikiah Schalk had 11. Libero Jarrod Offereins finished with 12 digs while Dan Jansen Van Doorn had seven blocks.

For Calgary, it was Graham Vigrass with 10 kills leading the Dinos while Jay Blankenau had 20 assists and Blake Giles had 12 digs.

THIRD PLACE: QUEEN'S GAELS (3) UBC T-BIRDS (2) (25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11)
It took five sets, and a long five sets at that, but the Queen's Gaels finally got past a feisty, never-quit UBC team 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11) in the bronze medal game at the Spartans Holiday Classic Wednesday night.

Trailing 2-1 in sets, Queen's fought back with a strong fourth set and completed the rally in the fifth when Bryan Fautley iced the cake with the final kill.

For Queen's, it was Zeeman with 20 kills and Fautley with 13. Jackson Dakin led the team with 27 assists and nine digs. Michael Amoroso had a game-high eight blocks.

The T-Birds were led by Kozak, who finished with 17 kills, and Ben Chow, who had 16 kills. Ian Perry had 43 assists and Blair Bann registered 14 digs.

GM9: FRASER VALLEY VC (3) THOMPSON RIVERS WOLFPACK (0) (25-22, 25-23, 25-23)
The Fraser Valley Volleyball Club Men utilized a mixed bag of a roster – one that included Thompson Rivers assistant coach Drew Venables – to knock off TRU 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) in both teams' final games of the Spartans Holiday Classic Wednesday afternoon.

Former Spartan Steven Marshall finished with 14 kills while Branden Schmidt and Nick Del Bianco each had 10 for FVVC. Venables also added two assists and two blocks.

GM5: TRU WOLFPACK (0) VS UBC-OKANAGAN HEAT (0) (25-16, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19)
Led by Kevin Tillie's 12 kills and four aces the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack opened day two of the Spartan Holiday Classic with a 3-1 win (25-16, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19) over the UBC-Okanagan Heat in the tournament's lone consolation semi-final match of the day.

Attacking efficiency proved to be the difference in the match as the WolfPack finished the match at 20 percent hitting, while the Heat finished at 4.2 percent. Both teams were strong from the end line with TRU having 10 aces, while UBC-O had nine aces. The WolfPack had the edge at the net with 10 team blocks to the Heat's seven blocks.

In addition to Tillie the WolfPack had strong play from Casey Knight, with eight kills, five digs and four blocks and Alex Davis with five kills, three aces and five blocks. The Heat were led by Nate Speijer with 12 kills, two aces and six digs and Mark Broome with eight kills, five aces and five digs.

GM6: CALGARY (3) UBC (1) (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22)
The No. 3 ranked Calgary Dinos booked their spot in the Spartan Holiday Classic with an efficient 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22) win over the UBC Thunderbirds Tuesday evening.

The Dinos hit 42.3 per cent compared to just 21.1 per cent from UBC and Calgary utilized momentum from a dominant fourth set – one in which they hit 68.4 per cent – to earn a place in the tournament final Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. against Trinity Western.

The Dinos were led by a wide ranging offense that saw them have four different players with double-digit kills (Graham Vigrass (12), Allen Meek (11), David Egan (11) and Curtis James (10)) and finish with a team hitting percentage of 42.3 per cent.

Calgary's Jay Blankenau had a game-high 44 assists and also led the Dinos with nine digs. Vigrass led his team with five blocks. For UBC, Ben Chow had a team-high 11 kills while Blair Bann led the T-Birds with eight digs and Chris Klassen led with 21 assists.

The T-Birds will now play Queen's Wednesday at 6 p.m.

GM7: TRINITY WESTERN (3) QUEEN'S (1) (25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21)
An impressive 21-kill performance from Rudy Verhoeff helped No. 4 ranked Trinity Western to a 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21) victory over Queen's in the Spartans Holiday Classic semifinal Tuesday night.

The win puts the Spartans in the tournament final where they will face No. 3 ranked Calgary Wednesday at 8 p.m., while Queen's will play the UBC Thunderbirds at 6 p.m.

After Verhoeff's 21 kills, it was Josh Doornenbal with 11 for TWU and Lucas Van Berkel with seven. Ben Ball had a game-high 44 assists and Verhoeff and Van Berkel each had four blocks. For Queen's, Zeeman and Niko Rukavina each had 14 kills while Bryan Fautley had 11. Daniel Rosenbaum had 31 assists and Michael Amoroso had five blocks.

January 4th, 2010
Game 6 3pm: TRU 3 v UBC-Okanagan 1 : (25-16, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19)
Game 7 6pm: UBC 1 v Calgary 3 (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22)
Game 8 8pm: Queen's 1 v TWU 3 (25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21)

January 5th, 2010
Game 9 1pm: Dalhousie 2 v UBC-Okanagan 1 (25-20, 26-24, 28-30) shortened match
Game10 3pm: TRU 0 v FVVC Men 3 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23)
Game11 6pm: Bronze: UBC 2 v Queens 3 (25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11)
Game12 8pm: Championship: Calgary 0 v TWU 3 (25-22, 25-14, 27-25)