Bisons volleyball host home opening weekend against Thompson Rivers

After a thrilling opening week of competition against Calgary, Manitoba’s volleyball teams return home to play Thompson Rivers on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s men’s game is at 6 pm with the women ay 7:45. The rematches go Saturday at 4 and 5:45 pm, respectively. Click here for tickets.

On the women’s side, five different members of the roster finished in double digits in points against Calgary in a weekend split to open the Canada West season. Overall, six of ten sets went into the 20s in a back-and-forth grind all weekend.

Manitoba leads Canada West after two games with 113 total kills, including 34 from left side Andi Almonte, who had 100 attacks over two games. In Saturday’s game against the Dinos, she put up a career-high 21 kills, and with reigning Player of the Year Raya Surinx set to make her season debut, the Herd are primed for a big weekend.

Heading into play, setter Katreena Bentley — a huge reason for Manitoba’s offensive success — has 94 assists, 25 more than anyone else in Canada West. She is just 431 career assists shy of tying the program record of 2,837.

Defensively, Bentley ranks third in digs in Canada West, with 28, while libero Julia Arnold is second with 33, and Light Uchechukwu is first, with 34. Fresh off a summer representing Team Canada alongside Surinx, Arnold is just 233 regular season digs shy of the modern era Bisons record, and 312 shy of the Canada West record. She currently has 1,097, one of just three Bisons in the modern era to reach 1000.

On the men’s side, a veteran Bisons picked up 18 service aces in two games against Calgary, which they split. That total is tied for the most in Canada West, with head coach Arnd ‘Lupo’ Ludwig noting that his team’s serving consistency has notably improved since last year.

Four different ‘Zoons had three aces to open the year, in right side Karil Dadash Adeh, left side Kai Boyko and middles Jordon Heppner and Jonah Dueck. Heppner led the way with five aces over two games, which is tied for the second most in Canada West.

Overall, seven different student-athletes had at least 8.5 points against the Dinos, led by team captain Spencer Grahame’s 35.

Grahame was particularly dangerous on pipe attacks, where he was perfect in game one versus Calgary. His 30 kills currently rank fifth in Canada West, while Boyko — who played for Team Canada this summer — and libero Josh Jehle are first and second in digs, with 21 and 20, respectively.