Huskies Come Back, Rally in Five-Set Win

WINNIPEG – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s volleyball team battled until the end, recording a 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-10) win over the Winnipeg Wesmen in a Canada West conference women’s volleyball match Friday night at the Duckworth Centre. 

It was the first match the Wesmen had played since dropping a four-setter at Manitoba, Nov. 6. The Wesmen dropped to 2-3 with the loss while Saskatchewan improved to 3-1. 

Selva Planincic had a team-high 15 kills plus a career-high 17 digs for the Wesmen, who also got 11 kills and 12 digs from Ashleigh Laube. 

Setter Portia Switzer had a team-high 22 digs, leading five Wesmen players in that category. Taylor Cangemi had 14 and Emma Parker 10.

The Huskies got 21 kills and .528 attacking from Mandi Fraser. Emily Koshinsky added 17 kills and 15 digs, and Olivia Mattern chipped in with 11 kills and 16 digs. Former Wesmen Jessica Andjelic had a match-high 27 digs for the Huskies who mustered 101 digs as a team. 

After being held to .125 and .028 in the first two sets, the Huskies found a groove hitting .382 in the fourth and .250 in the fifth. 

The Wesmen jumped out to big runs in the first and second sets scoring the first six points of both sets to send Saskatchewan into scramble mode. 

Saskatchewan, however, was able to win three straight critical points in the fifth set, breaking a 7-7 with kills from Fraser and Koshinsky and an attack error from freshman Jaya Dzikowicz.

Dzikowicz finished with five kills in her first extended action of her career. Breanne Bazin also made her conference debut at setter and had six assists. 

The teams meet again Saturday at 6:45 p.m.