Bears strong in all phases in 3-0 sweep of Bisons

EDMONTON – The Alberta Golden Bears hit an impressive .342 en route to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-22) victory over the Manitoba Bisons Friday night at the Saville Centre.

Fourth-year Isaac Heslinga led the game with 14 kills, but it was truly a depth effort in this one as three of his Bears teammates finished with five or more kills. They were also impressive at the net, able to punch through the Bisons blockline and not allowing the inverse with Manitoba hitting just .097 on the day.

With the win, the preseason #1 Bears remain undefeated at 3-0, while Manitoba drops to 2-3. Karil Dadash Adeh and Kai Boyko paced the Bisons with seven kills apiece.

The opening set was a tight affair, with both teams showcasing a stellar attack. The Bears, however, were just too efficient for the Bisons hitting .483 and recording a three service aces. They also were stellar at the blockline, finishing with 3.5 blocks and holding a potent Manitoba attack to just a .133 attacking mark and winning the set 25-19. Heslinga was phenomenal, finishing with a set-high six kills.

The Bears tightened their grip on the match in an impressive second set where they once again absolutely stifled the Bisons at the line. The visitors only got six kills from 18 total attacks, and recorded five errors to boot, while the Bears cruised to a .375 attacking percentage as they never trailed in the second en route to a 25-19.

To Manitoba’s credit they made the third a lot closer with a much more concerted defensive effort holding Alberta to a .150 attacking mark, but they were unable to capitalize hitting just .083 themselves. Cherewaty led the way for the home side as they battled to a 25-22 set and match victory.

It was banner raising night in honour of the 2023-24 USPORTS Champion Golden Bears, with a nice video tribute shown before the game. The teams return to action tomorrow at the Saville Centre for the early season series finale.