MVB: Wesmen steal one in five against Manitoba

Trailing two sets to one, the Winnipeg Wesmen stormed back on Saturday afternoon to beat the Manitoba Bisons 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 21-25, 27-25, 15-13). 

Errors proved costly all game, as Manitoba took three of them late in the fourth set, helping Winnipeg secure the 27-25 victory to keep the game alive. Overall, Manitoba had 26 service errors, including two late in the fifth that helped the visitors come back to complete the sweep. 

“We started with seven errors in the first two sets, and then six errors in the third set and eight errors in the fourth set. It’s just not smart enough there,” said Bisons head coach Arnd ‘Lupo’ Ludwig postgame. 

Despite the result, numerous Bisons had career games. Rookie Rowan Krahn set a career high with ten digs, while Eric Ogaranko tied a career high with 17 kills and freshman Jordon Heppner posted a career best five assisted blocks. Ogaranko came alive beginning in the second set, with five kills, while Matthew Campbell also had 12 kills, but a lack of consistency proved to be the downfall for Manitoba. 

The Herd now sit at 7-13 on the year, with key matches against Fraser Valley and Calgary in the next two weeks. They are currently two points out of a playoff spot, with their series against 9-10 Calgary in the last week of the season being particularly critical in the playoff race. 

“In the long run, I think everything is okay, but it hurt our chances of qualifying for the playoffs,” said Ludwig. 

“We were more focused today and ready to play, but unfortunately we didn’t come out with the win.