WVB: Bisons improve to 10-0 at home with straight sets win over Alberta

Box Score WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team improved their record to 10-6 after a win Saturday night over the Alberta Pandas on the court inside the Investors Group Athletic Centre. Manitoba completed the weekend series sweep with a three-set victory following up a four-set win against the same Pandas team on Saturday. The victory puts Manitoba’s win total at home this season to ten, and they’ve lost just two sets overall. 
 
“I thought we played the close points up the in the 20s really well,” commented Bisons Head Coach Ken Bentley. “We kept a steady hand there which I thought was really good. They put us on the ropes in the third set there but we found a way to hang around. We made great serves and defended to claw back into it. That to me was the most impressive set of the weekend.”
 
Third-year Light Uchechukwu led her Bisons team with 11 kills in match. First-year Raya Surinx contributed ten more kills to the Manitoba offence along with three service aces and seven digs. 
 
“Light was great tonight,” added Bentley, speaking to the play of Uchechukwu. “She was really good last night when we needed her too. She brings experience, physicality and I thought she passed really well tonight too. She was a threat out there and big part of us winning tonight.”
 
For a second-straight night, the game’s opening set went down to the wire but this time it was Manitoba who came out on top 25-23. Brenna Bedosky tallied five kills on five attacks to lead what was otherwise an even offensive output from the Bisons’ starters. Surinix who had three of her own kills contributed three aces in the Herd’s first set victory. 
 
The second set saw several momentum swings between the two sides before Manitoba went on to take the second by a score of 25-22. Each time the hosts began to pull away the Alberta squad managed to capitalize on key opportunities to keep them in the battle, fighting to level the match. Uchechukwu paced the Bisons offense in the frame, tallying seven kills on 11 total attacks.
 
Desperate to try and extend the match, Alberta began the third set with a 9-4 run forcing the Bisons to take an early timeout. The break called by Bentley appeared to spark Manitoba, making a slight gain on the scoreboard at 12-9 before forcing Alberta to call a timeout of their own. From there, the Herd grabbed the momentum and eventually took the lead and built up a four-point advantage up 22-18 late in the set. With Alberta serving and the Bisons on match point up 24-19, Ella Gray put down her eighth kill of the game to seal the set and match for Manitoba. 
 
Manitoba has won four games in a row, and are just two points shy of a top three spot in the conference. They will travel to play the Saskatchewan Huskies next weekend for a pair of games in Saskatoon on January 20-21.