CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos kicked off the new year with a 3-0 sweep of the Brandon University Bobcats Friday night from the Jack Simpson Gym.
The Dinos were dominant right from the start and cruised to wins in the first two sets before battling through some early adversity in the third for the win, 25-11, 25-15, 25-17.
Dominique Desautels, Sheridan Coninx and Daisy Olsen all tied for a team high on the night for Calgary with nine kills apiece, with Coninx leading all players at the net with a .615 hitting percentage on the night.
Anya Fehr also had a strong showing on the night for the Scarlet & Gold, dishing out 22 assists in the win.
A big run early in the first was all the separation Calgary needed to claim the opener. Leading 6-5, the Dinos went on a 6-0 run capped by back-to-back kills from Desautels. With a solid lead already established, Calgary closed things out with a 9-1 run as Coninx finished things off with a kill for the 1-0 lead.
In the second set, the Dinos started off strong with a kill by Sam Silva, who is currently ranked third in the Canwest Women’s blocking leaderboard. However, the Bobcats put up a fight of their own in the early going, tying things up at 11-11. But, with the help of six total kills between Coninx, Olsen and Desautels, the Dinos were able to win the set with a score of 25-15.
In the third set, the Dinos had to work a bit harder but ended up securing both the set and match win with a score of 25-17. It was another strong start for the Dinos with a kill from Olsen to start the match. However, after trailing 11-8, it was the Bobcats turn to make a big run. A block by Avery Burgar and Megan Pickford gave the visiting squad a 14-12 advantage. But the Dinos responded with a run of their own, rattling off six points in a row and 10 of the next 11 to take complete control en route to the sweep.
With the win, Calgary improves to 5-8 on the year, while Brandon falls to 0-13.
The two teams are right back at it Saturday, with the rematch scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first serve following the conclusion of the men’s game.