CALGARY – The University of Calgary men’s volleyball team defeated the University of Alberta Golden Bears by a 3-1 score (25-23, 17-25, 28-26, 25-23) on Friday evening at the Jack Simpson Gym.
The only team to beat the Bears heading into the night, the Dinos handed their arch-rival a second setback on a night that featured excellent volleyball with powerful serves, fantastic digs and thunderous kills by both teams. Each set was hard-fought and extremely close, almost every point seemed as though the game was on the line.
The difference in the contest was Calgary’s fifth-year senior, Hamish Hazelden, who took the game over at the end of the first set and did not let off the gas the rest of the way. Hazelden finished with 24 kills and nine digs.
“We all trust each other a lot,” said the Australian outside hitter. “The passing lineup did a good job of strapping some hard serves, we really scrambled tonight and our hitters had the freedom to swing hard at the block…I think we just outworked them tonight.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair with neither the Dinos nor the Bears being able to put distance between their opponent. Calgary hit .405 in the first frame and setter Tomas Sorra was instrumental in establishing the attack, compiling 46 assists on the night.
With the set nearing a close Sorra found Hazelden who slammed home the kill and the Dinos took the first set 25-23.
The Bears punched back in Set 2. Braedon Friesen, one of the Bears’ top performers this season, got settled in and began to leave his mark on the game. Friesen would finish with seven kills in the frame and 17 in the contest.
The Bears took the lead 16-13 heading into the technical timeout. After the timeout it was clear Alberta adjusted their game plan, giving credit to the Dinos blockers, the Bears hitters became more tactical in their approach, swinging off and around the block instead of through it. This proved successful as Alberta went on to take the second set 25-17.
A late Calgary rally sent the third set to extra points. Lincoln Baines came up with a huge block to tie the game. More Dinos joined the block party as they came up with multiple defensive stands and took the third set 28-26.
The fourth set was a microcosm for the game as a whole: both teams fought hard however it was the Dinos who edged ahead late. Fittingly Hazelden sealed the deal with a perfectly placed kill off the backset from Sorra, as the Dinos took the final set 25-23.
The Dinos and Bears face off again Saturday at 5 p.m. in what will be the last home regular-season game for Hazelden, Jacob Reid, Parker Siroishka, Tomas Sorra and Taylor Tracey.
Hazelden spoke about what being a Dino has meant to him as he reflected on his career in Calgary.
“My first year here we were kinda middle of the pack if anything on the bottom half of the pack,” he said. “I personally felt like I had to grind, that I wasn’t very good. It’s been a long road for sure…a lot of hard work.”
Catch the action on CanadaWest.tv, presented by Co-op.
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