WVB: Spartans Beat Heat in Four

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Trinity Western’s women’s volleyball team knocked off UBC Okanagan 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 26-24) in the first match of Week 2 of the Canada West playoffs Friday at the UFV Athletics Centre.

After the Heat took the first set by two, the Spartans rallied to win three straight sets, coming from behind in the fourth set to capture the victory.

TWU middle and Canada West First Team All-Star Avery Heppell (Langley, B.C.) led the Spartans with a match-high 12 kills and 12 blocks, while Meaghan Mealey (Calgary) had 10 kills and nine digs and Savannah Purdy (Victoria, B.C.) added 10 kills and nine digs. Libero Emma Gamache had a match-high 16 digs.

The Heat countered with Amaya Perry collecting a team-high 10 kills, while Second Team All-Star Sydney Grills and Jade Bussard had eight kills apiece.

TWU finished the night with 15 blocks and nine aces, while UBCO had nine blocks and 10 aces. Both teams held the opposition’s attack in check, with TWU hitting .183 and UBCO hitting 0.115.

With the top two teams in this weekend’s three-team pool, which also includes Alberta, advancing to the Canada West Final Four, TWU is one win away from earning hosting rights for the conference’s final weekend of the playoffs. The Heat will have to beat Alberta Saturday night at 5 p.m. (PT) at the UFV Athletics Centre to keep their season alive. TWU plays the Pandas Sunday at 2 p.m. (PT) at the Langley Events Centre.

AS IT HAPPENED 
UBCO took a tight first set, winning 25-23 in the opener. UBCO hit .194 in the set, while TWU was held to .061. Grills had a team-high three kills, with TWU’s Purdy leading the Spartans with four.

The second set went with Spartans way, with Purdy tallying another four kills to lead TWU. Grills responded with another four for UBCO, but TWU held on to even the match.

TWU took control of the third set in the middle section, with a blocking clinic that saw the Spartans open a sizable lead that would eventually become a seven-point win. TWU finished the set with six blocks, while UBCO was held to two. Mealey and Heppell had four kills apiece to lead TWU, while UBCO’s Perry came alive with five kills.

The Heat looked on the edge of forcing a fifth set after taking a 23-21 lead in the fourth. However, the Spartans tallied three straight points to earn their first of two match points. On their second opportunity to take the victory, Purdy earned a match-winning ace at 26-24.

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Ryan Hofer 
“Those were two really good teams playing volleyball out there. This is playoffs and I believe both teams really came to play well tonight. They’re an offensive bunch and we really had to have a plan in place for their attacking. Give a lot a credit to UBCO.

“They are a hard-hitting team. We had to find the right line-ups so we could take advantage of certain situations. Avery had an outstanding night of blocking. All of our blockers in the front row followed our game plan and did a really nice job of their responsibilities.

“We held their efficiency in check and they can really go off. I’m very happy how we did defensively. I thought there were some things we can clean up on our side, but part of it is learning how to deal with the pressure of the playoffs in the moment. It’s been a while since we’ve been in one of these types of games – myself included – and we just have to learn how to manage it and press forward.”

UBC Okanagan Head Coach Steve Manuel
“I thought we played okay. Far from our best volleyball. They’re a good team, they play well, they played well when they had to. I would say an average match for us.

“We got a bounce or two in a couple of sets, they got two or three bounces in more sets than we did and that was just the difference in the match.

“We’ve been playing must-win matches for the for four of the last five weeks on the road. We’re used to this, it’s fun. They’ll regroup and come out firing tomorrow against a really good team and hope for the best.”

NOTABLE
•    TWU is now 4-0 in the Canada West playoffs.
•    The Heat are now 2-2 in the playoffs.
•    Friday’s first-set loss was the first time TWU had lost a set in the post-season. TWU is now 12-1 in term of sets in the playoffs.
•    TWU has now won 16 straight games, including the regular season and playoffs.
•    The Spartans have won nine consecutive games against the Heat.

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