SPARTANS WIN FIFTH CANADA WEST CHAMPIONSHIP

EDMONTON – Trinity Western has officially won their fifth, and third consecutive Canada West Championship after a 3-1 victory over Alberta (25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19) at the Saville Community Sports Centre on Saturday.

It was as close as a four-set victory could be, with the overall score margin falling at just 13 in favour of the Spartans. While both teams showcased the attacks that dominated the conference all season it was the Spartans defence, particularly at the net, that was a key factor in the victory. TWU recorded 52 digs to Alberta’s 44, and added six blocks in an impressive defensive performance.

The Spartans were firing on the offensive end, completing 63 kills while the Pandas 48 on their respective .338 (TWU) and .273 (ALB) efficiencies.

With Olivia Heinen (Langley, B.C.) orchestrating a stellar Spartans offence, all five of TWU’s outside hitters and middles were able to make at least 10 kills. Led by Ansah Odoom’s (Surrey, B.C.) 13, this performance stands as a very impressive one for the Spartans in their fifth Canada West Championship.

For the Pandas, it was Canada West First Team All-Star Kory White who posted a game-high of 17 kills. White’s performance was expectedly strong, as she was joined by an impeccable performance by Lauryn Tremblay, who went errorless on 10 attacking attempts, making seven kills with her limited opportunities.

AS IT HAPPENED
Trinity Western opened the game on a heater; leading 16-9 at the technical timeout and showcasing their immense depth with five players recording a kill and ten seeing the court. They had a response to every Alberta attack, as the Pandas vaunted offence recorded a goose egg .000 hitting percentage at the break.

The Pandas quickly found a groove, however, and responded with a 7-1 run to get back into the frame. White recorded three kills in the stretch with setter Justine Kolody running an efficient offence.

The set would inch towards a conclusion, with the Spartans eventually closing out a 25-22 victory. The Pandas committed nearly half of the errors by TWU, but were unable to make it past a phenomenal blockline that recorded four total blocks in the frame. White and TWU’s Meaghan Mealey led the set with three kills apiece.

The second set featured a scorching Spartan attack led by Mikayla Benterud (Sherwood Park, Alta.) and Odoom that swung at a .467 clip at the break. While the Pandas were clean in terms of errors, they could not make it past the heralded combo of Avery Heppell (Langley, B.C.) and Kaylee Plouffe (Sherwood Park, Alta.) who challenged every attack at the net. Benterud was phenomenal in the second, going a perfect five-for-five on the attack and adding a block for good measure.

The third set was the best of the day, with both offences fully warmed up and showing it. The teams combined for an insane cumulative hitting percentage of .454. The veteran Alberta trio of White, Vanessa Jarman, and Julia Zonneveld found their swings with each recording at least three kills in frame.

Both teams found another gear in the fourth. The compete level was everything you expect out of a conference championship game, as both teams were sporting attack percentages well above .500 at the break. A 16-10 lead at the midway point would only balloon from there, with the Spartans going on a 4-1 run to lead 20-11.

White and Zonneveld would not go quietly, each recording two kills a piece to bring the Pandas back into the set. However, the TWU combination of Benterud, Odoom, Mealey, Heppell, and CW first-teamer Savannah Purdy would prove too much for the comeback however, with all recording at least three kills in the set. The Spartans would win the set 25-19 and the title with it.

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Ryan Hofer
“We tried to play every match with a full heart and to not let the pressures of the outside; wins, losses, and impressing people affect our play. We wanted to be able to play free for each other and to enjoy this opportunity.

“I feel fortunate that kills can come from anywhere on the court, not just the middle, and it creates a little depth for us to be able to move our players around depending on how our opponent is playing.”

UP NEXT
The Spartans will travel to Calgary to take on the U SPORTS Championships (Mar. 25, 26).

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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