Pandas dig deep in electric 3-2 victory over Manitoba

EDMONTON – Rookie Abby Guezen tied a career-high with 16 kills to help the Alberta Pandas knock off the Manitoba Bisons in an riveting 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-27, 25-22, 15-13) victory Saturday evening at the Saville Centre.

Guezen recorded 11 of her 16 in the final two frames as the Pandas came from behind in surely one of the games of the year for both sides. Second-year Raya Surinx was phenomenal for the Bisons, leading all players with 19 kills despite only playing in three sets due to injury.

With the win Alberta sits in fifth-place in the Canada West with a record of 17-5, sitting one win back of the fourth-place TWU Spartans. Manitoba moves to 18-4 on the year, and with this loss and an earlier UBC (20-2) win, they are on the outside looking in for the first-seed.

It was Senior Appreciation Night, as this is possibly the final home game of the year for the Pandas. Fifth-year Lauryn Tremblay and fourth-year libero Kalysta Knappett were the honourees before the game; both players having been starters for the last two years and having illustrious Pandas careers.

The Pandas started hot out of the gate, climbing to a 12-9 lead and forcing a Bisons timeout. Tremblay was the focal point of the offence, getting a couple kills and key digs to lead to the stoppage. However, from the timeout Manitoba started rolling. They went on a 11-2 run to steal the momentum and they would maintain it all the way to a 25-18 set win. Uchechukwu was stellar, recording a set-high five kills and adding a block in the frame. Tremblay, Laila Johnston, and Payton Henderson paced the Pandas with two kills a piece.

Tremblay and the Pandas started the second set on fire, scoring six straight points off the jump, two of which were service aces from the fifth-year. Manitoba would not go away quietly, slowly building all the way to just a 20-21 deficit, but the rookie Guezen recorded two kills down the stretch to aid in a 25-21 victory. Surinx recorded a set-high nine kills for the Bisons, while Johnston paced the Pandas with five. A large part of the victory came at the net where the Pandas had an astounding six blocks to Manitoba’s one.

Manitoba grabbed a hold of the third set early, going up 10-6 leading to an early Alberta timeout. Out of the break, Alberta’s offence reignited behind some great play from Tremblay and Allie Moore who brought the score back to an even 16-16 mid-set. The frame would inch forward to get to an eventual 25-25 deadlock. Enter Light Uchechukwu, who scored two straight points to lead the Bisons to a 27-25 set win. It was a pyrrhic victory for the Bisons, who lost Surinx at the end of the set to an injury. She would not return in the contest.

The fourth frame was possibly the most exciting of the day. Amidst impressive rallies and attacking, the teams were in lockstep the entire way. Eventually, thanks to some phenomenal offensive play from Guezen & Co., the Pandas entered the home stretch with a 21-18 lead. Guezen recorded a couple kills and a block from there to lead the home side to a 25-22 win and a decisive fifth set. 

Both sides were firing to start the final frame, but it was the home side that jumped to an 8-5 mid-set advantage on the back of some stellar two-way play. However, the Bisons would claw their way back to an 11-11 stalemate with no timeouts on either side remaining. Guezen would seize the moment, recording three kills down the stretch to will the home side to a 15-13 set and match victory.

The Pandas visit the Fraser Valley Cascades next weekend to finish off their regular season, while the Bisons host the Saskatchewan Huskies in their last matchup of the campaign.