EDMONTON – Third-year Liam Espedido finished with 12 kills and a game-high eight digs to help the Alberta Golden Bears to an exciting 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 27-25) opening night victory over the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack Friday evening at the Saville Centre.
He was aided by Issac Heslinga, who led the team with 14 kills to help lift the Bears (2022-23: 22-2, CW Champions) to their first victory of the year. The Wolfpack (2022-23: 8-16) were led by third-year Sam Flowerday who had a game-high 19 kills.
The first set started with the host Bears displaying an impressive attack, with Johnstone & Co. getting the score to 16-11 before a TRU timeout. However, a 5-2 Wolfpack run out of the break would stop the run and set the frame up for an exciting finish down the wire. It would get as close as 23-22, but a Heslinga emphatic spike would be the winner as Alberta took the first set 25-22. The Bears Billy Johnstone led all players with five kills in the frame, while Alberta outhit the visitors by a .333 to .174 percent margin.
Thompson Rivers would maintain their momentum out of the break, attacking and defending effectively en route to a 14-9 advantage to start the second set. Rylan Ibbetson and Matthew Hamilton were huge contributors on the offensive end for the ‘Pack, as they were able to find their way through the Alberta block line. The Bears would fight all the way back to a 23-21 deficit, but the Wolfpack hung on for a 25-21 set victory. Ibbetson led all players with five kills, while the visitor hit an impressive .355.
Alberta would find their groove in the third, jumping out to a 16-11 lead due in large part to an efficient attack. They would hit .500 in the frame which, coupled with an effective defence at the net and in the back, would lead to a 25-17 set win. Isaac Heslinga and Liam Espedido would pace all players with five kills apiece.
The fourth set would be a battle, with both sides showing some great attacking. Flowerday would lead the Wolfpack in this set, finishing with a set-high seven kills and providing some consistency in a back-and-forth mid-set. The frame amazingly went point-for-point from a 16-15 Alberta advantage all the way to a 26-25 Alberta lead that they would finish 27-25 for a set and match victory. There were 11 ties in the frame, with surprisingly only one lead change.
The teams meet for the final time in the CW season tomorrow night at 6:30 MST.
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