MVB: Bisons win fifth in a row, improve to 8-4 with 3-1 win over UBCO

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba Bisons made it five wins in a row on Saturday night at IGAC, knocking off the UBCO Heat 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 24-26, 25-18) to improve to 8-4, right near the top of the playoff pack. The loss dropped UBCO to 1-11. 
 
Both teams hit above .300, and were close in blocks (16 assisted for UBCO, 14 for Manitoba), but 26 service errors came back to haunt the visitors. The Bisons also had 13 aces, led by a career-high six from senior outside hitter Ben Carleton. 
 
The Brisbane, Australia native also led the Herd with 15 kills, while UBCO’s 2022-23 Male Rookie of the Year Seba Manuel had a career-high 16 to lead the Heat. 
 
“Today was probably our best serving day,” said Bisons head coach Arnd ‘Lupo’ Ludwig. 
 
“We had 13 aces, 15 errors. That’s better than we wanted to do. That was actually our game plan for yesterday. We couldn’t get it done yesterday, but today we were more focused on the line, and had good execution there.”
 
There were eight ties and five lead changes in the first set. Ten different players recorded at least one kill, with serve-receive spelling the difference. The Heat had eight service errors compared to three for Manitoba in a four-point Bisons win. 
 
Renn Petryk recorded one of his two assisted blocks to tie the second set at eight early, but service pressure gave Manitoba permanent momentum in a dominant showing. Back-to-back aces from captain Spencer Grahame, as well as Carleton, plus a solo from Sammy Ludwig was more than enough to secure the set. 
 
Manuel was the standout in the third to keep the match alive. He tallied nine kills with just one error, hitting .550 as the visitors won in extras. The Heat pushed Manitoba out of system at the line to secure the set winner, thanks to a kill from Lucas Woelders. 
 
Carleton and Ogaranko were a force in the fourth, helping their side take home the W. The former drained a kill from the pipe to give the ‘Zoons a 4-3 lead, and later on he scored three in a row on an assisted block, tip for a point and kill to make it 11-8 Manitoba. 
 
Sam Jablonski came in late in the third for UBCO due to injury and carved out two aces in the fourth, but Ogaranko shut down any Heat run with a kill off hands followed shortly after by a beautiful cross-court attack that painted the back line from the far right. 
 
Both teams are off for the winter break and will return to play in January.