For the first time since Jan. 19, 2019, the University of Calgary Dinos women’s volleyball team defeated the Alberta Pandas, taking home a 25-13, 25-23, 25-23 straight-sets victory Friday night at the Jack Simpson Gym.
Calgary (6-3) came out of the gates with something to prove, absolutely dominating the No. 4 Pandas (5-4) in the opening set, hitting at a .333 clip, while holding the Pandas to just .071. Everything was coming up Dinos in set one, as they were also able to rack up five service aces on the way to the 25-13 victory.
First-year outside hitter Daisy Olsen picked up right where she left off last weekend, as her three of her four kills in the set were part of a 10-2 run the Dinos used to close out the opener.
Dinos head coach Christine Biggs credits her team’s fast start to the hard work the players have been doing before even stepping on to the court.
“One of the things we have been working on is our preparation, not only as a team, but as individuals,” explained Biggs. “It’s leading to confidence starting the match, then also allowing us to feel like we have the solutions if things are not going our way.”
The number-four ranked team in the country was not going to go down quietly, as the Pandas came out with a renewed effort in the second set, hitting a game-high .400. They were paced by Laila Johnston, who powered down 10 kills in the three sets.
Alberta led almost the entire second set, but the Dinos were able to stay within striking distance, finally taking the lead 21-20 off a Stella Rains service ace. Calgary would close things out on Sheridan Coninx service ace, their sixth of the set.
Looking for the sweep, the home team controlled things from start to finish in the third. The Dinos never trailed in the set, jumping out to an early 4-1 lead and never relinquishing their advantage en route to their 3-0 sweep of their northern rivals.
Biggs knows how important this kind of win will be for her team in the ultra-competitive Canada West.
“I think it’s always a confidence boost to know that you can compete with every team in the league,” Biggs said. “I think one of the aspects of this league is that it is so strong all around, so every win is meaningful.”
Calgary really out served the Pandas in this one, finishing with 12 service aces and limiting Alberta to just one.
Sophie Reed led the way on offence for the Dinos, powering down a team-high 10 kills, followed closely by Olesn’s nine. Rains orchestrated the Dinos’ attack beautifully all night, racking up 31 assists, while also contributing on the defensive side with three total blocks.
For the Pandas, Lauryn Tremblay chipped in eight kills to go with Johnston’s 10. Meanwhile, Justine Kolody was all over the floor for Alberta, finishing with 25 assists, as well as a team-high 12 digs.
The two teams will now get ready to do it all again on Saturday, with first serve set for 6 p.m., once again at the Jack Simpson Gym.