MVB: Huskies Fall Short in the Fifth

SASKATOON, SK – The top two teams in Canada West returned to Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court at the Physical Activity Complex Saturday evening for game two of the weekend series. The Alberta Golden Bears came out on top in game one Friday evening, edging out the Huskies in three straight sets. Both teams came to play, putting up a fierce fight. It would come down to the final points of the fifth set to determine a winner, and the Golden Bears came out on top.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

• Set one looked very different from set three on Friday evening. The Huskies found their rhythm, and the two teams battled it until the end. Tied 24-24, the Golden Bears would earn the final two points of the set off a kill from Matt Shand and a swinging error by the Huskies.

• Alberta took the lead from the start of the second, slowly widening the score gap, finishing the set 25-16 over the Huskies.

• Saskatchewan found another gear in the third, challenging the Golden Bears and forcing errors. The two teams took turns with the lead, but the Huskies were relentless until the end, taking the third 25-22 and forcing a fourth set.

• Saskatchewan kept the energy high heading into set four. The two teams would once again battle it out until set point and the Huskies would come out on top in another 25-22 set and evening out the match 2-2.

• The Huskies started the fifth set with a kill by Joshua Thorson, but the Golden Bears would proceed to take the lead from there, being the first to 8, and ultimately the first to 15 (Huskies 10).
   

THE STATS

• Alberta’s Issac Heslinga lead the stats in kills having 21 kills, swinging 0.419 percent. He would also led in digs, putting up 12 balls off Huskie swings.

• Emmett Graham lead the Huskies in kills with 18 on the night, with a 0.333 kill percentage.

• The Golden Bears had a total of 9.0 team blocks, and the Huskies with 5.0.

• Alberta had a team total of 6 service aces, and the Huskies, 4.

THE STANDINGS
Both teams have earned a place among the top five teams in U Sports, the Golden Bears currently sitting in 2nd and the Huskies following not far behind in 4th. The win will improve the Golden Bear’s record to 11-3 and shift the Huskies record to 9-5.

NEXT UP 
The Huskies are back on the road, heading West next weekend to take on the MRU Cougars in Calgary. The two teams will take to the court on Friday at 7:00 PM CST and Saturday at 8:00 PM CST. Fans can catch the game live on CanadaWest.TV.

2024 GFL U SPORTS WOMEN’S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP presented by CONNECT ENERGY
The Saskatchewan Huskies are proud to host the 2024 GFL U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship presented by Connect Energy this spring. The national championship will be held at Merlis Belsher Place on March 14-17, 2024. Ticket packages are available at HuskieTickets.com.