KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers WolfPack women’s volleyball team took the first set off the No. 8 ranked Calgary Dinos but couldn’t complete the upset in a 3-1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-12, 25-15) loss on the road.
With the win, the Dinos improve to 8-3 on the season, while TRU falls to 5-6.
Erin Mutch led the way with nine kills while Brooklyn Olfert and Ema Palkovicova had eight apiece with Palkovicova also adding four aces. Abby Spratt directed the WolfPack offence to the tune of 28 assists while also adding three aces.
The WolfPack came out strong in the opening frame. A 7-1 WolfPack run powered by a kill from Olfert and an ace from Spratt created the first separation of the night for a 14-8 edge midway through before three consecutive service aces courtesy of Palkovicova made it 21-12 for the visitors en route to the convincing first set win.
Things continued the same way in the start of the second, with TRU jumping out to an early 7-3 advantage. The Dinos made some adjustments to their lineup and saw instant success, going back ahead 9-8. Things went back-and-forth the rest of the way in what proved to be the pivotal set. Calgary trailed 24-23, but was able to get kills from Sheridan Coninx and Daisy Olsen before an Evelyn Kath ace sealed the comeback and knotted things up at one set apiece.
From there it was all Dinos.
Calgary’s defence held TRU to just three kills in the third set in a lopsided win to go ahead 2-1.
In the fourth, it was the offence that proved to be the story, as the Dinos hit an impressive .400 and closed things out with block by Coninx and Olsen.
The two teams are right back at it Saturday, with the final game of the semester for both squads scheduled for a 6 p.m. first serve from the Jack Simpson Gym.