Bisons tame Thompson Rivers
Manitoba in search of No. 1 ranking with pair of victories
STEVE BOHRN STAFF
On Friday Jan. 26 and Saturday Jan. 27, the Bisons women’s volleyball team were in tough, as they played host to Thompson Rivers University for a pair of important games.
The Bisons, who had been ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the first half of the season, were looking to retake that spot. The team is currently ranked third in the CIS, behind the Calgary Dinos and Montréal Carabins.
On the flip side, Thompson Rivers was looking to solidify a playoff position in the ultra-competitive Canada West conference. The WolfPack sat just two points out of the playoffs when action began on Friday night.
Unfortunately for Thompson Rivers, they were not able to inch closer to the playoffs, as the Bisons took home a 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25- 20, 18-25, 15-7) victory.
The Bisons came out strong, jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the first set. Thanks to a couple of timely kills by Sabrina Barnes, the Bisons were able to cruise to the set win.
Thompson Rivers showed they were not a team to be taken lightly, bouncing back to take set No. 2 by the same 25-18 score. The key to the WolfPack’s success was the offence of Sandra-Joy Unaegbu, who seemed to have the Bisons’ number with her lefthanded kills.
The set win would begin a back and forth trend that would not cease until the final point.
The teams would take turns controlling the next three sets, with each team seemingly having the other in a stranglehold. Both teams were able at some point to come back after a run of bad play and regain the momentum, even if temporarily.
In the end, however, the Bisons just had too many weapons, as the team received outstanding play from Barnes, Erin Nieuwenberg, Amy Matthews, and Monica Chernican. Unaegbu and Robyn Devlin, who had a game-high 23 kills, led the WolfPack.
Contrary to the close match the night before, Saturday’s matchup saw the Bisons win in dominating, straight-sets fashion. The Bisons came out looking amped, like a team that was out to prove that they deserve the top ranking in the nation.
While the offence was on display in Friday’s victory, Saturday’s match was a time for the Bisons’ defence to shine. Thompson Rivers managed only 28 kill shots all night, as Manitoba compiled a seven-block, 68-dig night.
While the WolfPack was competitive enough to not let the game get completely out of hand, there was no point when it looked like the Bisons were anything but in control. They played the match with the swagger of a team who had 10 more wins than their competitors.
The Bisons won the match in three sets, 25-20, 25-22, and 25-23. Leading the way for the Bisons offensively were Ashley Voth and Matthews, who each contributed 10 of Manitoba’s 39 kills.
On the defensive side for the Bisons, Barnes and Katie Davidson each had 14 digs, while Chernichan chipped in 13.
The team will have to wait until the next ranking poll comes out, but their performance against the WolfPack will no doubt help their bid to be No. 1 again.
The Bisons, who move to a Canada West-best 14-2 on the year, will look to continue their winning ways with a pair of home games against the Saskatchewan Huskies on Feb. 3 and 4. Action starts in the Investors Group Athletic Centre at 1 p.m.
