WVB: Bisons block party helps Herd sweep Brandon 3-0

WINNIPEG – Less than 24 hours after the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team swept the Brandon University Bobcats in straight-sets on Friday night, the two sides were back on the court inside the Investors Group Athletic Centre to finish up their two-game weekend series. 
 
For a second-straight night, it took the Bisons only three sets to take down their provincial rivals from Brandon, 25-16, 25-20, 25-15, levelling their Canada West conference record to 4-4. 
 
Bison rookie Raya Surinx paced Manitoba with 11 kills on a team leading 29 attempts in the victory, while middle Brenna Bedosky added a solo block and four assisted along with four kills as Manitoba evened their record to 4-4. 
 
Overall in the match, the Herd recorded eight team blocks, compared to zero for Brandon. It’s been a strength all year for a Manitoba team that came into the contest second in the conference with 2.58 blocks per set. 
 
“We cleaned up a few things from last night,” commented Bisons Head Coach Ken Bentley. “We did a better job blocking and I was pleased that we did a good job pushing the reset button. We came out and played just like we did yesterday which is hard to do. To win six-straight sets is tough. You’ve got to be switched on mentally for every point to make that happen.” 
 
Manitoba didn’t seem to have missed a beat to begin the match, carrying the lead for the majority of the opening set. Second-year Andi Almonte led the charge for the Bisons offence in the first, tallying four kills on 11 attempts, including the set-clinching kill, giving Manitoba the 1-0 advantage, 25-16. Surinx chipped in with four kills of her own and a service ace to put the Bisons on set point. 
 
The hosts kept their foot on the gas in the second set. Bedosky put down a cross-court strike vaulting Manitoba into double digits and a five-point advantage over Brandon at 10-5. 
 
The Bobcats answered with a 5-1 run to pull back to within one and continued fighting to stay within one through the middle portion of the set, but never managed to draw even. Bedosky was a major reason why, with three assisted blocks in the set.
 
“We have a really good blocking team, with Eve Catojo, even Chloe [Ellerbrock] coming in for Eve. We practice it every single practice, and we’re super dedicated to just getting better at it,” said Bedosky. “I know how hard that can be on joints and everything, but we do it every practice just to get better, and it’s been worthwhile.”
 
With the Bisons on set point up 24-20 and Brandon to serve, second-year Bobcat Keely Anderson put her serve into the net, giving the set to Manitoba by a final score of 25-20. Surinx continued to lead the Bison attack, adding three more kills to her total in the second on nine more attempts. 
 
Hunting for another straight-set victory and six in a row on the weekend against the Bobcats, the Herd continued to fire on all cylinders. 
 
Manitoba jumped out to another significant advantage in the third, leading 11-3 through the opening stages of the set, including a solo block from Bedosky. 
 
The Bisons maintained their big lead for the remainder of the third before a block from Ellerbrock set up match point for Manitoba. Two points later, Surinx put the game away with her 11th kill for a final third set score of 25-15. 
 
Bentley added: “We are going to take Monday off and rest a little bit since we are little banged up. Then it’s back to film and creating a game plan. I am pleased with how we are playing but we are from being in a postion to be lackadaisical.”  
 
Manitoba will be back at Investors Group Athletic Centre next weekend and play host for a pair of games against the Regina Cougars on November 25-26.