WVB: Bisons sweep Wolfpack in straight sets again to level their conference record at 2-2

Box Score WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball team improved their record to 2-2 after a win Sunday afternoon over the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack on the court inside the Investors Group Athletic Centre. 
 
Manitoba completed the weekend series sweep with a three-set victory (25-21, 25-21, 26-24) following up another convincing straight-set win against the same Wolfpack team on Saturday. First-year Raya Surinx led her Bisons team with 12 kills in match. Second-year Ella Gray was just behind Surinx with 10 kills and a team-leading hitting percentage of .217. Fellow Sophomore Andi Almonte helped her team’s cause with 16 digs in the match. 
 
“We just managed to stay in this one,” explained Bisons head coach Kent Bentley, speaking about what we felt was still a close game despite the box score. “We struggled at times to put anything meaningful together and missed a couple key serves but we never shot ourselves in the foot. We were able to stay in it which turned out to be very important in getting out of here with a 3-0 win.”
 
Thompson Rivers came out of the gate much more competitive than they had finished Saturday’s match, battling the Bisons to a 12-12 tie before taking their first lead one point later on a kill from first-year Ema Palkovicova. The two sides battled point for point the rest of the first set until Manitoba pulled ahead to a 23-19 lead. Bisons closed out the set on a block from Brenna Bedosky, taking the first by a score of 25-21. The Herd’s Gray had an impressive opening set, putting down five kills on eight total attacks. 
 
Down 1-0 on sets, the Wolfpack responded with a 6-1 run to begin the second. However later in the set, the Bisons went on a run of their own to tie the set at 10-10. The hosts battled back from behind again in the second to reclaim the lead, and later, the second set. Gray continued hitting at a .500 pace in the second, adding four more kills to her total. Surinx got her game going in the second, registering six kills along with six digs as Manitoba took the set by a score of 25-21. 
 
Down late in a set for the first time during the weekend at 20-16, Light Uchechukwu checked into the game for Manitoba. The captain made an immediate impact as her squad tried to rally back to complete the three set sweep. The Wolfpack were unable to handle Uchechukwu’s first attack, which was the start of four straight points for the Herd as they tied the set at 20-20. Later, Uchechukwu put down a clutch service ace to tie the set again at 24-24. Moments later the Bisons sealed the set and match on a block from Eve Catojo and Andi Almonte. 
 
Manitoba will travel to play the UBC-Okanagan Heat next weekend for their third weekend of Canada West conference play on November 4-5.