SPARTANS HOLD OFF THE HEAT

Setter Mathias Elser (Calgary, Alta.) played the hero for the Spartans as he served out the match with three straight serves, including an ace to improve TWU’s record to 7-0, while dropping UBC Okanagan to 4-3.

Brodie Hofer (Langley, B.C.) with 24 points, 22 kills, seven digs and Isaiah Olfert (Winnipeg) with 16.5 points, 12 kills and four aces led the Spartans attack. While Maxwell Heppell (Langley, B.C.) with 18 points, 16 kills, and two aces and Noah Carlson (Sylvan Lake, Alta.) with 16 points, 13 kills, 10 digs, and six blocks led the Heat.

AS IT HAPPENED
TWU quickly jumped out to a five point, 10-5, lead to start the match and force UBC-O into a quick timeout. The Spartans continued to control the opening set, jumping out to a 16-9 lead at the media break, before closing out the set 25-17. The Spartans hit at 54.2 percent (15-2-24), while the Heat hit at 17.4 percent (8-4-5). Jordan Schnitzer (Surrey, B.C.) was impressive for the Spartans in the opening set, finishing with 7.5 points and six kills (6-0-8). Maxwell Heppell led the Heat in the first set with three points, on three kills.

UBC Okanagan had a better start to the second set as they led Trinity Western 6-5 early. But the Spartans regained the advantage with a 4-1 run to take a 9-7 lead. TWU continued to expand their lead to 11-8 as UBC-O called a timeout. The Spartans continued to control the set as they led 16-9 at the media break. The Heat closed the Spartans lead to four points, trailing 19-15, before TWU closed out the second set 25-21. TWU hit at 30.0 percent (15-6-30), while UBC-O hit at 22.2 percent (9-3-27). Isaiah Olfert led the Spartans in the second set with seven points and six kills, while Noah Carlson led dthe Heat with four points and four kills.

The third set was UBC Okanagan’s from the start. The Heat jumped out to an 8-5 lead. The Spartans rallied to take a one point lead, 9-8, and force the Heat into a timeout. UBC-O came out of the timeout and quickly ran off an 8-3 run to take a 16-12 lead into the media break. The Spartans closed the set to a one point game, trailing 19-18. But TWU could not pass UBC-O as the Heat took the second set 25-21 with a 5-2 run to close out the set and make the set score 2-1 for TWU. TWU hit at 2.9 percent (10-9-34), while UBC-O hit at 33.3 percent (14-5-27). Brodie Hofer led the Spartans in the third set with eight points and seven kills, while Carlson had another strong set for the Heat with six points and four kills.

The Heat carried their third set momentum into the fourth set and jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead. UBC Okanagan maintained their advantage to the media break holding a four point, 16-12, lead. The Heat expended their lead to 21-15, before evening up the match with a 25-16 win. In the fourth set TWU hit at 19.2 percent (9-4-26), while UBC-O hit at 42.9 percent (12-3-21). Maxwell Heppell led the Heat with six points and five kills, while TWU had a more spread out attack in the fourth set.

UBC Okanagan looked poised to upset the Spartans as they took an 8-6 lead into the fifth set changeover. The Heat extended their lead to three points, 9-6, after a stuff block by Carlson and Teo Ardanaz (Tsawwassen, B.C.) on the Spartans Olfert. Trinity Western settled down out of a timeout and two bombs from the service line by Olfert tied the final set a 9-9. The two teams exchanged points before Elser served out the match to give TWU the 3-2 victory.

NOTABLE

• The Spartans are now (19-0) in Canada West play against the Heat.
• Starters missing from the TWU lineup due to COVID protocol: Jackson Howe, Jessie Elser, Derek Epp, Colton Loewen.
• TWU finished the match hitting 25.8 percent (57-24-128), while UBC-O finished hitting 28.6 percent (46-16-105).
• The Spartans had nine total blocks, while the Heat had six total blocks.
• TWU finished with 10 service aces, while UBC-O finished with four service aces.

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Ben Josephson
“I feel a little bit like a profit as all week long I kept telling the guys that you have to be prepared for two and a half hours. With the group that we had on the floor and the quality that UBC Okanagan has been playing this season you just knew it was going to be really hard and really long. We were up two and then they won two and we won the fifth, but it could have alternated each set. I just don’t think that there was a lot to separate the two groups.”

“Our young guys make the same mistakes every day in practice, but because they are young they don’t yet understand how those mistakes in practice affect games. That is my favourite lesson of the day for those guys. Those mistakes happen in practice and you are casual, they happen in a game and you are down three. We talked a lot about it in practice and I love that they got a chance to really feel what those mistakes cost them and what it feels like in a match.”

UP NEXT
The Spartans will finish the two game home series against the Heat tomorrow evening. Game time at the Langley Events Centre is set for 6 p.m. The game can be seen live on Canadawest.tv.

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.

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