LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Winnipeg Wesmen used a solid all-around game to sweep the Trinity Western Spartans 3-0 Friday night at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. and force game three in the best-of-three Canada West semi-final series. Winnipeg’s attacking and blocking were the difference in the match as the Wesmen finished hitting at .359, with only six errors to the Spartans attacking at .123 with 24 errors.
The 28-26, 25-15, 25-19 loss to the Wesmen is the first time the Spartans have lost to Winnipeg at home in 14 years. The Spartans’ last loss at home to the Wesmen was 3-0, 14 years ago, on February 26, 2010. TWU is now 33-4 at home against Winnipeg.
Fourth-year outside Henry Rempel (Swift Current, Sask.) with 11 kills, six digs, and two aces, second-year outside Kaden Schmidt (Mississauga, Ont.) with nine kills, and six digs, and third-year middle Jackson Corneil (Surrey, B.C.) with eight kills, and four digs led the Spartans. Nigel Nielsen with 12 kills, seven digs, and five blocks, and Isaiah Olfert with seven kills, four aces, and six digs led the Wesmen.
Second-year setter Anselm Rein (Erfurt, Germany) led the Spartans with 33 assists while adding two blocks, and five digs. Alex Krykewich led the Wesmen with 26 assists.
QUOTABLE Adam Schriemer – TWU Head Coach
“I thought in the first set we had a lot of opportunities to close it out but we didn’t execute and we made too many attacking errors. As the game went on, Winnipeg just put so much pressure on us with their serve and then we really struggled in the high ball game. Once they get rolling, they’re a tough team because they have weapons everywhere. That made it really challenging. They played at a high level and we couldn’t match it today. The nice part is we have tomorrow and we need to find a way back to the level we were at yesterday because we’re going to be in for a tough one.”
AS IT HAPPENED
The Wesmen and Spartans were even through the majority of the opening set. At 7-7 Winnipeg created some separation with a 4-1 run to lead 11-8. But TWU’s Rempel responded with a couple of service aces to help tie the set at 14-14. From there it was even with neither team leading by more than one point. Winnipeg had set point after a TWU service error. Back-to-back points by the Spartans gave TWU set point at 25-24. The Wesmen took advantage of a Spartan service error that tied the set at 26-26. Winnipeg’s Nielsen gave the Wesmen set point at 27-26. Nielsen followed it up with a block of Rempel to give Winnipeg the opening set 28-26. TWU hit at .195 (16-8-41), while Winnipeg hit at .353 (14-2-34). TWU had a 4-1 edge in aces, with Winnipeg having a 5.5-1 edge in blocks.
TWU started the second set well taking an early 8-6 lead after Corneil’s push attack off of the Winnipeg block. But from there, the Wesmen took over the set. Winnipeg got even at 8-8 but used an 8-4 run to lead 16-12 after an Olfert kill. The Spartans were unable to close the gap as the Wesmen finished off the set with a 9-3 run to take the second set 25-15 and a 2-0 set lead. TWU hit at .032 (9-8-31), while Winnipeg hit at .471 (9-1-17). The Wesmen had a 3-1 edge in aces and a 1-0 edge in blocks.
The Wesmen carried the second-set momentum straight into the third set. Winnipeg led 8-5 and 16-12. The teams played side-out ball to 19-14 for the Wesmen after a TWU service error. TWU started to get momentum late and after a kill by Schmidt had cut the Wesmen lead to two points, 20-18. But that was as close as the Spartans would get as the Wesmen closed out the match with a 5-1 run to take the set 25-19, and the match 3-0. TWU hit at .118 (12-8-34), while Winnipeg hit .359 (34-6-78). The Wesmen had the edge in blocks at 2.5-2, while each team had two aces.
NOTABLE
Players of the Match: WPG Nielsen, TWU second-year libero Kyden Dmitruk (Surrey, B.C.)
The Spartans finished the night hitting at .123 (37-24-106), while the Wesmen finished at .359 (34-6-78).
Winnipeg finished with a 9-3 edge in blocking, while TWU had a 7-6 edge in service aces.
Last night the Spartans defeated the Wesmen 3-1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-17).
In their last conference weekend series, October 27-28, the Wesmen swept the Spartans 3-1, and 3-2 in Winnipeg. Before that weekend series, the Spartans had won 13 straight against the Wesmen.
The Spartans are 44-21 lifetime against the Wesmen.
TWU last met Winnipeg in the postseason six years ago in the Canada West semi-finals on March 1-2, 2018. The Spartans swept the best-of-three series 2-0 (3-0, 3-0).
The Spartans are led by Canada West all-stars fourth-year outside Henry Rempel (Swift Current, Sask.) and second-year setter Anselm Rein (Erfurt, Germany). Rempel finished the season leading Canada West in kills-per-set (4.23), second in total kills (398), and fifth in aces-per-set (0.41). Rein was the top setter in the conference, leading Canada West in assists-per-set (10.29), and was also the leader in service aces-per-set (0.59).
The Wesmen are led by Canada West all-star, and former Spartan, fourth-year left-side Isaiah Olfert. Olfert was second in service aces per set and total (44/0.48), fifth in Canada West in hitting percentage (.296), and sixth in kills-per-set (3.62).
Rempel is the Canada West and U SPORTS male volleyball athlete of the week.
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Wesmen will match up again tomorrow night in game three of the best-of-three series. Match time at the Langley Events Centre Building B is set for 7 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West 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 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.