WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Wesmen needed a win in the worst way and they used one of their best performances of the season to get it.
Keeping faint playoff hopes alive, the Wesmen took down Challenge No. 1 Friday, knocking off the Calgary Dinos 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 26-24, 25-13) in a Canada West conference clash at the Duckworth Centre.
The Wesmen managed to pull the Dinos back towards them in the conference standings as they upped their record 7-14 while Calgary dipped to 8-13. Saskatchewan, which beat Regina on Friday, is also at 8-13 while Mount Royal and Thompson Rivers have the same record as the Wesmen, making the final three matches all must-win for Winnipeg if it hopes to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
A key turning point Friday was a third-set battle that almost went drastically south for the Wesmen. Winnipeg led 19-12 before giving up a five-point run, and went ahead again 22-18, seemingly in full control. At 23-19, however, the Dinos cued a 5-1 run to tie the set at 24 and force extra points. But a kill by Jaya Dzikowicz and a Calgary attack error allowed the Wesmen to survive and take a lead into the fourth set, which was entirely without drama.
Dzikowicz had a match-high 12 kills and added 12 digs to a team total of 63. Selva Planincic added 10 and 15, the fourth time in five matches she’s registered double-digit digs. She also hit .333 with just three errors on 21 swings.
Brooke Duncalfe added 11 digs and Portia Switzer 10.